Blindsided
by Panoctu
Summary: What's usually a cause for many mammals to celebrate leaves Judy distressed and full of doubts. How will her mate react to her 'good news? And how to her bad news? Is there a way to for them to brave this storm together? (I know some of you will think this is going to be a certain kind of story, but I'd like to ask you to read the A/N first and give it a chance afterward. Thanks)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

Heya folks,  
and welcome at the beginning of my new story: Blindsided.  
Before you peeps start reading it, though, I'd like to ask you to read through this A/N first (I know, it's a bit on the longer side, but please bear with me since posting this story makes me quite nervous, to be honest).

First of all, I want to make a couple of things perfectly clear:  
\- As some of you might have thought when reading the summary, this story was inspired by Borba's comic "I will survive"  
\- No, this is neither going to be a rip-off nor a re-telling of his comic but a story in its own right. It just works under the same premise (as I said, it _**is**_ inspired by the comic, after all).  
\- No, this is not my idea of throwing a punch at Borba or anything along those lines. I respect the artist for his drawings, and he has a right to create a comic the way he sees fit.  
\- While some details at the beginning might be the same as or very close to ones from the comic you shouldn't assume right away the direction this story is going. I left those details in since they were necessary for the plot to work.

Also, the outlines for Blindsided are finished, but only the first chapter I have actually written out so far, meaning updates will take a while since I'm not the fastest writer out there.  
And for the length: it will probably be around three to four chapters in total (unless I'm going to go crazy and add an unforeseen amount of details and whatnot).

Last but not least: I know that this story contains a lot of potential for controversy (probably/maybe), and I'm not asking you to keep your opinions to yourselves. But please, stay polite.

With that, I'll stop rambling now and leave you to your reading.

PS: As always, my thanks goes to my buddy Quakky for proofreading and giving some ideas for last-minute improvements :-)

* * *

Cold, artificial light illuminated the small, white-tiled bathroom and caused every shadow to look too sharp and solid.  
Leaning onto the sink, a grey bunny-doe stared at the item she held in her paw, clasping it hard enough that the plastic creaked in protest. Her ears hang limply behind her head, and deep, sorrowful lines were showing on her face.

"No, no, no. _Please no_ ," Judy's voice came out barely a whisper, laced with desperation. But there was no willing away the result of the pregnancy test.  
As there was no way to deny the results of the dozen others she had bought in case one would be flawed.

And she had used every one of them. They already lay in the sink, each being positive.  
Closing her eyes, the doe briefly rested her head on the porcelaine, letting the cold of the smooth surface seep into her fur.

When she straightened herself, her gaze met her reflection's in the mirror. Her amethyst eyes looked dull and forlorn.  
"Alright, Judy, you have to tell him. You can do it."  
Though her words were lacking the usual enthusiasm with which she gave herself an encouraging pep talk every morning.  
With a deep sigh and a feeling like her world was about to end, she left the bathroom with heavy feet and headed in the direction of the TV's sound.  
She could hear some laughter and knew her mate was watching one of his beloved, stupid comedy shows.

Entering the living room, Judy found Nick sprawled out on the couch.  
The tod was wearing his lazy day-off attire consisting of a pair of sweatpants and an unbuttoned shirt, his head propped up on one arm, eyes glued to the screen and the tip of his tail flicking every now and then.

"Nick"

Hearing his mate's voice, the red fox's head swiveled in her direction.  
When he glimpsed the distressed look on her face, he turned off the TV, stood up and took the two steps he needed to be in front of his bunny.

Not knowing what to say, Judy let go of the hem of her checkered shirt, which she had subconsciously clutched with one paw, and while taking a deep breath reached into her pants pocket, producing the latest pregnancy test and holding it out for Nick to see.  
Confusion crossed the reynard's face until understanding dawned on him.  
Lips parting in surprise, his expression quickly morphed into one of unveiled joy when he lifted the doe up, pressed a kiss to her lips and started to spin them both around, laughing out happily.

"Nick! Stop!"

Only then the tod realized that his mate's whole body language spoke of a devastated bunny.

His smile slowly fading, he placed the doe back on the ground and squatted down, coming to eye level with her.  
"What's the matter, Fluff? Are you not feeling well?"

The concern in Nick's voice caused Judy's next words to sit like weights in her heart.  
"Nick, I... I don't want those kits."  
Her declaration hit the fox like a blow. His eyes widened in disbelief as he tried to wrap his head around what Judy had just said.

 _She must be kidding, right? This is just some kind of elaborated prank. It must be!_ he desperately thought.

But when Judy's eyes slowly filled with tears he realized it wasn't.

Standing up, the tod took a step back.  
Then another one.  
Until the edge of the couch hit the back of his knees, causing his already weak legs to give in and him to heavily flop down.  
His gaze had never left his mate's face, searching for any sign it wasn't true.  
The world around him seemed to lose its color. His muzzle opened and closed without a word leaving his lips.

Judy had taken a step forward, closing the distance between them a bit.  
She was scared to lose her mate, but she wanted him... _needed_ him to understand.

"Please, let me explain."

Watching the pained expression on her face was more than Nick could take and with a sharp nod he prompted her to continue.

The bunny grabbed the front of her shirt in an unwitting attempt to calm down her racing heart.  
"It was so sudden. I never expected this to happen. I mean, I knew that there are some interspecies couples who have kits, but they are all either both prey or both predators. Pred-prey couples becoming parents? That's just unheard of! I thought it would be impossible. What if our kits would be disfigured? Or have some other considerable health issues? What if my body can't even handle it? I-I mean, I don't know if I'm not putting myself at risk, too, when I keep them."

By that time, Judy was openly crying, her whole body shaking.  
In a voice that was trembling just as much, she added: "I'm also not ready to quit my job."

She averted her gaze, the grief-stricken expression on the fox's face being too much for her to bear.

The first thing Nick felt when his brain started working again was anger.

Anger at the fact that Judy didn't want his kits.  
Anger at her reasoning and the apparent excuses she made.  
Anger at the statement that her job was more important to her than their unborn offspring.

Anger at himself for not realizing how scared his mate was, despite how long they had been together.

Leaning forward, he grabbed the weeping bunny by the waist and with little effort lifted her up, causing her to let loose a surprised 'eep'.  
He placed her in his lap, curled his tail around her protectively and started caressing her back and ears to calm her down.  
The doe immediately hid her face against Nick's chest, letting her tears flow freely.

When her sobs finally eased up, and her tears started to dry, the tod pushed her away just enough to be able to look her in the eyes.  
There was a feeling that something about what Judy had told him was off but finding out what exactly was going on would have to wait until later.  
Right now there was a still very shaken bunny that needed his support.

"The part about your job is nonsense, and you know it. After maternity leave, you could just come back."  
The doe tried to protest, but Nick just raised his voice a tad. "Though I understand that you are scared, Judy. Hell, now that I think about it, it really is scary the way it had happened out of the blue."  
The tod's expression softened a little, and even the faint trace of a smile appeared on his face.  
"But I also know that you are a fighter. You have always been one. Unafraid to chase your dreams, even when others didn't believe in you. Standing up for what you knew to be right. Like back then under that bridge. You have been crying there as well, afraid that I hated you and that you've lost me forever. But you had still talked to me, apologized, and asked for my help to save this city, even if you would get hurt. So I know your strength. I know that unbreakable will of yours. I know that there is nothing that can get you down for long before you just rise back to your feet."

He had cupped one of her cheeks with his paw, his padded thumb slowly, softly brushing against her fur.

"And I know that whatever fears you have now, you will be able to conquer them, like you have been able to do in the past. The difference is, you are not alone anymore. I'm with you; have been with you for a long time now. And if you are willing to believe in me, to lean on me, and to trust in the strength I can give you, then we can see this through to the end."  
The tod swiped away the last tears that had remained on Judy's face and gave her a reassuring smile that caused the doe to press her nose to her mate's neck, nuzzling him under his muzzle appreciatively.

Nick felt the smallest nod coming from the bunny.

"What can I... what can _we_ do now, though?" Judy asked with a last sniffle, still holding her fox tight, "I have no idea what comes next. There has never been a case with a pred-prey couple having offspring."  
There was still that helplessness in her voice that Nick had never heard before, but now there was also the first trace of hope as well since Judy had dropped her news and unexpected statement on him.  
Giving himself a moment to think it over, Nick took up her last comment. "Where have you looked it up? In some online forums, or news sites or something like this?"

He felt the bunny tense up against him before she leaned back just enough to look at him.  
"I... I haven't looked it up yet. I-I mean, I just found out that I'm pregnant right before I told you. B-But if there had been a case like ours before, it would have made the news, wouldn't it?" Though her voice was quivering and bare of confidence.

Nick swallowed the disbelief that he felt at her words and forced his ears to not lay back against his skull in indignation.  
He gave his bunny's nose a comforting lick, seeing how it had started to twitch the moment the doe had realized that in her fear she might have jumped to conclusions.  
Sensing that his mate was already starting to beat herself up over it, he gently put his paw to her chin, prompting the doe's gaze - which she had averted before - to move back to him.  
"Shall we start with that, then?"  
With a small nod and soft hum Judy agreed, reluctantly leaving the reynard's embrace to fetch her laptop.

Moving to the kitchen, they sat down at the table. Once the laptop had booted up, Nick called up Zoogle and entered the keywords 'interspecies', 'predator', 'prey', and 'offspring'.  
Most of the results they got were either about movies and novels that focused on that topic - mostly in a not very comforting manner since quite a number of them belonged into the horror genre - or redirected them to different forums where mammals discussed the possibilities of conception between predator and prey.

Judy was quickly losing heart, and with each passing post that was just filled with theories and assumptions with no concrete answers, Nick had more trouble to keep up his confident poker face.

Then they saw it.

One post included a link to a hospital in Zootopia.  
Following that link, they were redirected to the site of a smaller clinic located in the Rainforest District, in Ficus Grove, right behind Downtown.  
"MD Catherine Beare, gynecologist and specialist for interspecies conception," Nick read out loud the title and name of the smiling red panda whose picture was shown on the site.  
"But it says nothing here about pred-prey couples," Judy stated, her eyes skimming the short text on the page.

The fox opened another link and was presented with a gallery of happy mixed couples and their offspring, smiling at them blissfully from the screen.  
Scrolling down, he almost missed the one couple that stood out from the rest if not for his mate's sudden outcry and claw that was pointed at a particular picture.

A male lion had his arm around a zebra mare, holding her tight to his side with a gentle expression. Both mammals were looking down at the little bundle of fur they were holding up.  
At first glance, the cub... or foal looked like an okapi, though at closer inspection it was evident that its muzzle was too short, its ears too small and its color was off, with the sand-colored fur on its back, stomach, and neck.  
Not to mention that it had paws instead of hooves. Mammals who didn't know and weren't on the lookout to spot those differences would probably still think it was just a very light colored okapi.  
"I guess we've found the place where we will get our answers, Fluff," Nick stated, glancing at the doe beside him.

For a long moment, the humming of the fridge was the only sound in the small kitchen.  
The reynard reached for his mate's paw, giving it a short squeeze.  
Facing towards the tod, Judy hesitated for another heartbeat before she gave him a nod accompanied by the smallest hint of a smile.

Taking a deep breath, Judy picked up the phone she had placed next to her on the table and dialed the number written on the screen.  
While listening to the free line signal, she felt Nick grabbing one of her feet.  
The fox began rubbing it soothingly, and Judy realized that with her rising nerves, she had started to thump it against one of the chair's legs.  
Looking at her fox appreciatively, she saw the fond expression on his face before he shot her a playful wink that even forced a short giggle from the bunny. The calming effects of his gentle paws and easy behavior made Judy relax in her seat.

Only to almost jump out of it when the call connected.

"Mickey-Tiguar-Hospital, Department of Gynecology and Cross-Species Conception, Dr. Beare speaking. How can I help you?"  
Her mind decided to draw a blank at that moment, leaving some silence-filled seconds in the wake of the Doctor's words, before Judy finally forced out a stammered answer.

"M-my name is Judy Hopps and... and well... we are... I-I mean I am... I'm pregnant."  
Her last words were barely more than a breathless whisper, the doe's lungs void of air.  
A large paw started rubbing her back, trying to help her loosen up, even if only slightly.  
"Inhale, Sweetheart," the voice of her fox breathed into her ear.

The bunny briefly closed her eyes, forcing herself to take some deep gulps of air.

She almost missed the answer from the red panda at the other end of the line.  
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that, please?" Judy asked in an apologetic voice.  
"I just wanted to know if I'm right in assuming that the father is a different species than you?" the mammal inquired in a soft, patient voice.  
The doe was pretty sure to hear a smile in the way she talked and leaned back into her seat, feeling momentarily calmer.

"He's my mate. And yes, we're are not the same species. Actually, we... we are predator and prey," Judy added.  
"And now you are uncertain as to what you have to expect."  
It wasn't a question but merely a statement.  
The doe affirmed it and braced herself for the inevitable blow, the declaration that it would be more than just a tad difficult and that her chances were low, to say the least.

The blow never came.

Instead, typing could be heard at the other end of the line.  
"You are lucky, Miss Hopps," Dr. Beare spoke up after a moment. "Someone had to cancel their appointment today, so if you and your mate are free, you could come by, and I would try to answer all your questions."  
Nick, who had been watching his bunny throughout her whole conversation with the red panda observed how her facial expressions changed from tension to surprise to reluctance and whipped back to tension.  
"We... have a day off, yeah... okay... yes, we'll be there. Goodbye."

When Judy ended the call, she looked at the device in her paw like it was a strange, otherworldly being that eluded her comprehension.  
Without facing Nick, she repeated what she had agreed on with Dr. Beare; that they would visit her in the clinic at 6 pm.

Suddenly the doe started shaking, tears streaming down her cheeks from one second to the next.  
Shocked by Judy's sudden emotional outburst, the reynard couldn't do much besides pulling her into a gentle embrace once more, trying to soothe her with soft words while tenderly rubbing his mate's ears.

When her sobs finally subsided, and her paws stopped clenching at the front of the tod's shirt, Nick couldn't bear it any longer.  
Not knowing what was haunting his mate was almost worse than witnessing her distraught state.  
"Fluff... Judy, please, can you tell me what it is that you fear so much?" he asked, still holding the bunny tight, paws caressing her back. "What you told me earlier wasn't what you are actually afraid of, right? And it's not just the unknown either, is it?"

He didn't saw how Judy bit her lower lip to stop it from quivering. But he felt her shaking her head against his chest.  
After a moment, she hesitantly started to speak.  
"Part of what I told you was true, the rest was… panic."  
The doe was shaking a little, feeling lost and barely being able to understand her own actions.

"You said that you know my strength and how I have always been able to fight my fears, no matter what. But this… Nick, this is different. It's not something I can fight. It's not about standing up for something. It's no mammal, no prejudice, no social norm I can try to change, it's…"  
The doe trailed off, seemingly unable to find the words or the will to continue.

After some time that felt like a grueling, silence filled eternity but likely lasted no longer than two minutes, she started speaking again, her voice barely more than a breath.  
"You know about my family. How big it is and how many siblings I have."  
The tod hummed affirmatively, "three hundred and thirteen by now, right?"  
"Mhm. But... there could... there could have been more," she continued, her words strained and weak, telling of more tears that might flow.

Nick waited for his mate to resume, not wanting to pressure her.

Inside the bunny the truth she wanted to tell Nick and her fears and tears were fighting.  
"Not all of my mom's pregnancies went well," she told him in a barely audible whisper. "Sometimes, there had been complications. Some of my siblings hadn't even lived a day, some were stillborn or died from crib death. My mom had lost some kits through miscarriage. A-and even some of my sisters or mates of my brothers... Nick, we are entirely different species. H-how could we even hope that these k-kits... t-that they d-don't..."  
Unable to finish her sentence, the doe buried her face against the fox's chest, which to him felt tight from the painfully beating heart inside.

The tod cupped his mate's cheeks with one paw, prompting the trembling bunny to look at him, eyes glassy.  
He gave her nose a comforting lick. "I'm scared as well, Sweetheart."  
"You are?"  
Nodding, the reynard gave her a soft, sad smile.  
"I'm not an only kit for no reason. Litters with a single kit are rare for foxes. We should have been a litter of two, but my brother was stillborn."  
Nick watched when the first tears started to move down his bunny's cheeks slowly and gently wiped them away.  
"But my parents loved me nevertheless. They never regretted having me; never regretted trying in the first place. They told me that often enough after I found out about my brother."

"And right now, " he added after pressing a soothing kiss between Judy's ears, "we don't know what to expect or what we can do. Maybe this pregnancy will be more difficult than a usual one, maybe not. But that's what this appointment is for. So we can find out and learn about what options we have, so we can give these kits the best chance at living instead of taking it from them. Fretting, angsting, and imagining the worst possible outcome will do us no good."

It was one of the moments where Nick was grateful for his conmammal-past which allowed for him to remain calm and composed on the outside, despite the commotion that took place inside of him.  
It barely was noon, yet the day had been full of ups and downs, unexpected joy and despair switching positions in seconds, and the added weight of his mate's fears he hadn't known about until then.

Leaning her head back against the fox's chest, Judy pondered his words.  
She still felt tense about the uncertain future that stretched out in front of her... of them, but the sense of hopelessness that had constricted her since this morning had dimmed, fading to a bearable level.  
And his words had hit a nerve.  
She had been so focused on what might happen to their kits that she had forgotten that there _was_ a way to fight for them. That she wasn't as helpless as she had felt.

"But what can we do now? It's still five hours until we'll meet with Dr. Beare." The thought alone almost drove the doe crazy.  
The tod appeared to be deep in thought for a moment before a smile showed on his face.  
"How about Adrian or Aiden for a boy and Sarah for a girl?"

Looking momentarily confused, Judy quickly caught on, the corners of her muzzle slightly turning upwards.  
"I'd rather name a girl if we have one Skye if that's okay with you?"  
Nick's ears stood up in surprise.  
"In that case, I guess we should name a boy Jack, don't you think? He might feel miffed otherwise. You know that he can be a wuss at times." he added with a laugh.  
The doe agreed, the meek traces of a smile widening into a genuine one.  
For the first time since Judy had left the bathroom, her ears started to rise, and her posture seemed more relaxed with her mind being occupied by more positive things to ponder.

She grabbed her mate's paw when an idea struck her.  
"Wouldn't it be great to have them as godparents?"  
The excitement that suddenly radiated from the lagomorph send Nick's tail into a happy little wag, relieve flooding him when the Judy he knew seemed to show again.  
Squeezing her paw, he gazed at his mate lovingly. "I like that idea."  
"But maybe we should choose different names, then. Skye and Jack with their godparents Jack and Skye? That might be a bit too much," the tod added with a chuckle.

"And what about the others?" the doe asked after a brief silence.  
"The others?" the fox tilted his head sideways in a confused manner.  
"Well, bunny litters usually consist of more than two kits."  
Living his life as an only kit, Nick had forgotten that his family had been special in that regard.  
"Oh, right. Fox litters, too, are normally bigger than that."

They kept on discussing names until they had enough even in case they ended up with four or five kits of the same sex.

* * *

Time passed by while they made plans for how they could rearrange the apartment to make room for their litter, considering if moving wouldn't be the better option.  
They wondered if the little ones would end up having the canines of their dad or the buckteeth of their mom or maybe both? Or would it differ between them?  
Would they have long protruding muzzles or short ones?  
Long, ears with round tips or short, pointy ones?  
Red fur or grey?  
A wild mix of everything?

"Maybe," Nick smirked, "one will look like Finnick. Long, fluffy tail, long muzzle with canines, big ears, and short stature."  
An amused snort escaped the doe before she could put her paw over her muzzle to trap it inside.  
Looking at each other, they broke out into laughter.  
Though, both decided for themselves that they should not mention this in the sand-colored vulpine's presence if they valued their lives.

By that time they had long since moved back to the couch.  
Nick was sitting in one corner, leaning against the armrest with a pillow in his back. Judy had taken her place in his lap, reclining against the fox, a position they had come to love when relaxing after a tiring day at work.  
Nick's arms were slung around her, their intertwined paws resting on her stomach, with one of his padded thumbs gently rubbing over the doe's velvety knuckles.  
Judy's foot twitched subtly when the tip of the reynard's tail that was draped over her legs tickled her while wagging oh so slightly.

But as soon as the time had come for them to leave for their appointment, Judy tensed up.  
As much as the last couple of hours had helped her to relax, to temporarily forget about her anxieties, as strongly were they coming back for her once reality called.  
Though a reassuring lick over her cheek from the fox that she loved helped her calm down.

"Are you ready, Carrots?" the fox hadn't let go of his mate yet, knowing by now that it might take more than positive thinking for the doe to find back to her usual upbeat, go-getter self.  
Squeezing Nick's paw once in assurance, Judy gave him a brief nod before reluctantly climbing out from the fox's warm embrace.

It was strange how Judy, who had faced a lot of uncertainties in her life which she had always taken head-on with confidence and a smile, felt almost overwhelmed by trepidation from heading out for her appointment.  
Seeking strength from her mate, the doe grabbed his paw.  
She was grateful for the reassuring squeeze that was Nick's reaction to it.  
Feeling like she was heading into battle, Judy left the apartment, her beloved fox close by her side.

Luckily, they could go the whole way by sub without changing lines in between.  
The downside was that there wasn't anything to distract her from her thoughts, leaving her to struggle with her troubled mind.  
It was hard to miss how nervous the bunny was. So much so that a concerned billy goat approached them, asking if the fox next to her was bothering her.

Things like that had happened before, but Judy had always replied politely, staying friendly all the time while telling these mammals off, stating that no, her _mate_ wasn't bothering her.  
That she snapped at somebody, told them to leave them alone while scooting closer to him was new, though.  
It caught the goat as off-guard as it did Nick, leaving both mammals wide-eyed.  
When the caprine hurried away with a mumbled apology, Judy relaxed again.

But it was evident that she wouldn't budge from the fox's side, and Nick put his arm around her, giving her as much comfort as possible.  
And drawing as much comfort as possible from her in turn, since he felt just as tense as his bunny.  
He wasn't made of stone, after all.

Just a few stops after that they exited the sub and entered the lush thicket of the Rainforest District.

The closer they got to their destination - following a winding path of tree-platforms and wooden bridges connecting them - the tighter Judy's grip on Nick's paw got.  
The bunny's strength wasn't new to him, even though it tended to surprise mammals who had never met her, and he suppressed the wince that tried to escape him.  
Instead, he let his tail find its way around her waist, entangling her in a protective manner and causing the doe to raise her eyes from an unseen point in the distance towards the fox right next to her.  
Meeting his warm, soft gaze put her mind at ease. A little, at least.

When they were still a couple of minutes away, a lifted bridge forced them to stop while letting an airship pass through the narrow gap between the trees.  
Nick used the opportunity to open the folding umbrella the doe didn't even realize her mate had taken along.  
Just on cue, the sprinklers hidden in the foliage above them came to live, soaking the whole district around.

Judy leaned against her fox not only so both would fit beneath the umbrella but also because she was seeking his closeness.  
To others, it must appear to be a romantic gesture, but Nick knew that his mate was distressed and needed his strength, which he was more than willing to lend to his usually tougher half.

Under the steady, rapid beating of the downpour playing out its unique cadence, they continued once the bridge had lowered again.  
To Judy, it almost seemed as if the sound of the rain drowned out every other noise around them, besides the rhythm of her mate's heartbeat and breathing; a soothing song she had half forgotten until now.

Slowly, their destination came into view. The path they followed was leading up to the backside of the clinic and around.  
While walking by, they saw that some branches of the tree it was located on were sculptured in a way that their leaves created a kind of hedge, probably to provide an outdoor area for the patients to enjoy and get some fresh air without being exposed to the curious views from passersby, while some of the upper branches created a living roof, shielding the mammals beneath from the recurring, artificial rainfall.  
The building itself seemed to be part of the tree, some extensions protruding from its thick trunk here and there, but also with many windows directly inserted into the wood.

When they reached the front entrance of the Mickey-Tiguar-Hospital, the doe felt calmer.  
The weight of her fears still sat heavily on her shoulders but was bearable to her right at that moment.

Upon entering the building, it was like she lost something as soon as they were out of the rain and surrounded by the usual noises of a hospital; the coughing and groaning, the nurses talking quietly to patients and visitors, the clacking sounds of the occasional mammal passing by on crutches.

"Excuse me." Nick's voice jerked the bunny out of her thoughts.  
They had reached the front desk without Judy noticing it, making her realize once more how out of it she was.

The gazelle in her white attire sitting behind the desk looked up from the screen of her computer, directing her gentle brown-eyed gaze towards the vulpine standing in front of her and a moment later towards the lagomorph as well, as soon as she noticed her.  
"Yes? How may I help you?" Her voice was melodious and kind.  
With a soft smile, the tod answered "We are looking for a Dr. Beare. We have an appointment with her."  
Corners of her lips rising, the bovine pointed across the foyer.  
"The elevators are over there. Just go up to the third floor, turn right when you leave it and simply follow the signs on the wall. You can't miss it."  
"Thanks."

The young couple made to head over to the wall pointed out by the nurse.  
"I think you look perfect together."  
The softly-spoken words stopped them in their tracks before they made even one step.  
Facing towards the gazelle once more - their surprise evident - they were met with a genuine smile, extending not only to the reynard but his mate as well.

It almost startled Nick when he heard Judy's voice, warm and full of gratitude.  
"Thank you."

Giving them a small nod, the gazelle focused back on her work.

With a lingering feeling of surreality, Judy looked up at her mate who shot her a quick wink before squeezing her paw gently, prompting her with a minute movement of his muzzle to continue towards their destination.  
Inside the small cabin, Judy leaned against her fox. During the next couple of minutes, they would find out what they'll have to expect in the future, what they could do about it and what they might have to face.

 _You have come this far now, Judy. You will face reality and not run from it again, no matter how hard it will be. You have Nick by your side, and the both of you can still decide on what you want to do after talking to the doctor._

Taking some deep breaths, the doe tried to force down a sudden surge of panic.  
A soft sensation on her head jerked her out of her thoughts.  
Looking up at the fox who had just placed a kiss between her ears, Judy realized they had already reached their floor.

When she left the elevator at Nick's side, her legs felt a little shaky, but her mind was calm again thanks to him.  
Though she couldn't help but admit that the emotional back and forth was slowly taking its toll on her.

They followed the signs on the wall as they had been instructed, but the closer they got, the louder the doe's heart was beating in her own ears until it drowned out every other sound around her.  
Her vision narrowing, she could feel her head growing light.  
Just a few steps away from their destination, she almost fell if not for the tod who hadn't let go of her paw the entire time.  
Though it had been the tod who had caused her to lose her balance in the first place, pulling her back and effectively stopping her.

His paws on her shoulders were keeping her steady, and as soon as Judy turned around, she met Nick's concerned gaze.  
He had apparently picked up on her inner turmoil.  
Seeing his nose twitch, she realized that he was sniffing the air and that it was most probable her scent that gave the state of her mind away.

The fox squatted down to be at eye-level with his mate, one of his paws moving from her shoulder down to her waist, the other one cupping her cheek oh so gently.  
He leaned forward until their foreheads touched, noses apart by just a hair's breadth.  
The doe's rapidly beating heart was slowing down once more while they silently shared their breaths until Nick spoke.  
"It's going to be alright, Judy. We will get through this, together. I'm here, you hear me? I'm by your side, and I won't budge. That's a promise."

With her eyes growing misty, Judy grabbed the tod's tie and pulled him a little lower, unable to stop herself from chinning him across his muzzle, to mark him, to claim him, to show the whole world that _this_ wonderful, sweet fox was _hers.  
_ Before she could draw back, Nick pulled her closer again, rubbing the side of his muzzle along her cheeks to leave his scent on her as well.

Feeling like herself again, Judy reached for the tod's paw and approached the consulting office that held the answers she sought and dreaded at the same time.

Eyeing the door with doubt, she took a deep breath in an attempt to steel her nerves.  
"Are you ready, Fluff?"

Exhaling, the air left her lungs in an audible draft while she raised her paw...

"No."

... before she knocked.

The voice that answered them from the other side of the wood was gentle and just a tad authoritative.  
"Come in."

Inside they were not met with the sterile white walls of an ordinary doctor's office.  
Instead, the whole room gave off a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

The deep-pile carpet they were standing on was a dark red, while the wallpaper was of a tawny orange.  
Dark brown bookshelves lined the walls, and Judy couldn't help but notice a small plant pot containing spanish moss sitting on top of one of them as well as a hare's foot fern next to the only window, just outside of the direct sunlight that might or might not find its way down through the Rainforest District's lush canopy.

 _Tillandsia usneoides and davallia bullata,_ she recalled their scientific names.  
Though she had never been able to find any resemblance between the fern and a hare's hind paw.

The middle of the room was occupied by a desk that seemed a little too big for the red panda sitting behind it.

Doctor Beare waited patiently for the two mammals to step closer before gesturing them to sit down in the chairs right in front of the desk.  
"You must be Miss Hopps and her mate," she smiled at them, noticing how the tod's tail found its way into the doe's lap immediately after they sat down, where it was petted by one of her paws while the other one subconsciously reached out for his.  
"Nick Wilde," the fox introduced himself.  
"Thank you for seeing us on such short notice Doctor Beare," Judy added.  
"Please, just call me Catherine or better yet, Cat."

The bunny's ears which had been laid back from the moment she had entered the room rose just a little, making it evident that she was relaxing by at least a fraction.  
With a nod, Judy thanked the ailurid¹.

"Now, you must have quite a lot of questions, so I'll try to answer all of them before I start asking mine."  
Feeling her nerves rising once more now that she would get the answers she had been looking for, for the better or worse, Judy felt Nick giving her paw a squeeze.  
Facing him, she saw the words he had told her before still lingering in his gaze.  
A silent promise.

Bracing herself for the impact, she took a deep breath before asking what was causing her the most distress.  
"How high are the chances of a miscarriage or that our kits will be born with... disabilities?"  
Folding her paws, the red panda's gaze wandered from Judy to Nick and back, addressing both mammals at the same time.  
"The possibility that one of those things happens is always there, and depending on your health and if there are any predispositions running in either of your families the chance of it to happen varies. But if your question is if the chances are higher than for a regular couple since you are different species, then the answer is no."

The doe's ears shot up in surprise. That wasn't what she had expected. Far from it.  
Heck, she hadn't even dared to hope for an answer like this, and now the bunny was doubting her hearing.

The silence that had followed the doctor's statement stretched almost into a full minute before Judy found her voice again.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Cat, but could you please repeat that?"  
Seeing the uncertainty in the eyes of the female sitting across from her, the female predator's features softened some more.

She often had couples or even singles sitting here who were unable to wrap their heads around the fact that they had a chance to have kits with members from another species in the first place, not even talking about the missing increase in risks for them or their theoretical offspring.  
So it was no wonder that the bunny in front of her had trouble believing in the words she had just been told.

"I understand that it seems impossible that two entirely different species could have offspring without facing any consequences from a biological point of view, but it's the truth.  
The biggest hurdle most couples have to take is conception.  
The chances for interspecies couples - no matter if they are two predators, two prey or a mixed couple like you - to get pregnant in the first place is lower than it is for same-species couples.  
But considering that you have already taken that hurdle," an amused sparkle came to the red panda's eyes, causing Judy's ears to turn a light shade of pink, "your pregnancy will be a regular one. Well, more or less, that is."

"What do you mean by that," Nick inquired, asking for clarification concerning Cat's last comment.

Quickly raising a paw to wave off the worries she could already see reappearing on the young couple's faces, the ailurid explained.  
"The thing is, since you two are species with different gestation lengths there is no telling at this time how long it will take until your kits are born. Since we are only talking about a one month gap here, though, we at least know it will take between one and two months."

Both young mammals relaxed back into their seats, not even realizing that they had leaned forward in anticipation of the doctor's answer.

"Also, Judy, you will probably experience cravings that are different from the ones other lagomorphs have. We are talking about an appetite for protein-rich foods like insects, fish or poultry."  
Looking a tad bashful, the doe quickly averted her gaze, the faintest trace of a smile appearing on her face.  
"I... don't think that will be much of a problem," she admitted after a moment, drawing a chuckle from her mate.

The quizzical look on the ailurid's face prompted Nick to elaborate.  
"Let's just say that this specific bunny has a somewhat predatory side to her."  
His comment earned him a slight shove from the lagomorph, and after another second had passed, understanding dawned on Cat, causing an amused snort to leave her muzzle before she could stop it.

"I'm sorry. But that's good then. At least we won't have much trouble adjusting your diet."  
The smile she was wearing was returned by the couple, both mammals evidently more relaxed than when they had passed the threshold to her office.

"What about the litter size? How many kits can we expect?" Nick spoke up after a moment.  
Contemplating the question Cat leaned back in her chair.  
"There isn't much difference in litter sizes when it comes to vulpines and lagomorphs, but considering that the young ones will be slightly bigger than a regular bunny, you can expect a smaller litter. Judy, your body won't allow more than it could handle, so you will probably have two, _maybe_ three at the most."

She could see the tip of the fox's tail start to wiggle and wag in Judy's lap and had to bite her lower lip to not laugh out loud at the sight of the vulpine's happy telltale sign.  
"So, if you don't have any more questions for now...?"  
Nick looked at his mate, and when the doe shook her head, he did as well.  
"In that case, I have some for you."

The red panda grabbed a pen and small notebook.  
While flipping through the pages to find an empty one, Nick opened his muzzle to comment on the fact that she was using such a dated item instead of just writing it down on her computer.  
But a quick prod into his side stopped him.  
Looking at the doe next to him, he saw the smirk on her face, and her threateningly raised elbow, ready to strike again.  
 _This bunny knows me too well.  
_ His amused thought was hidden by an eye-roll, causing his mate to shake her head about the incorrigible tod.

The whole, short exchange had gone unnoticed by the older female.  
When Cat looked up again from her notebook, she had the slightest feeling she had missed something, judging from the teasing sparkle in the doe's eyes and the faint trace of a lopsided grin on the reynard's muzzle.  
With a mental shrug, she banned the thought from her mind before starting to ask her questions.

Working down her usual list, she inquired about their physical condition, clinical history and known allergies and diseases.  
With their agreement, she also took some blood samples in a small, white-tiled room adjacent to her office, to make sure they hadn't missed something.

"Let's just assume I have no idea why you are taking blood from me as well," Nick suddenly piped up afterward.  
Judy had to focus immensely on not letting the amused giggle that she felt coming at his comment escape her muzzle. She was always surprised how her big _, strong_ predator of a mate, who was also her partner at the ZPD had such a hard time not to let his fur puff out whenever someone with a syringe or cannula came too close.  
"I mean, isn't it just important that the mother's blood is alright?" he continued in an attempt to hide his... discomfort.

The red panda had picked up on the fox's slight distress and had a hard time keeping a chuckle in.  
She knew that some mammals couldn't help it and that belonephobia² wasn't amusing, especially not to the mammals in question.

"Of course it is important that we monitor the mother's blood values. But blood can tell us more than just if someone is healthy or not at the moment. There are some diseases which root in a genetical abnormality that could be inherited by one or more of the kits, and some of those diseases leave traces or _'marker'_ in the blood. So by analyzing the father's blood, we can look for those and be prepared."  
"I see, I see," the fox nodded slowly, having only understood half of what the doctor had told him, but decided to take it at face value.

Turning back towards the doe, Cat continued.  
"I don't think I have to tell you, Judy, but no smoking and no alcohol for you from now on until your kits are born. Better yet, no smoking afterward as well."  
"Neither of us smokes," the bunny answered.  
"And we rarely drink. Only on special occasions," her mate added.

The ailurid nodded in acknowledgment, making another note.  
"I would also ask you if you are working out on a regular base, but considering you are both police officers, I guess that goes without saying, right?"  
Both mammals looked at her with wide eyes.

"We haven't mentioned that, have we?"  
The fox shook his head, a smirk slowly showing on his face while he turned towards Judy.  
"But I guess it's just natural that some mammals remember the heroes of Zootopia," he laughed.  
"Oh come on, Nick. That had been two years ago, and we haven't arrested any more mayors since then."

There was a light chuckle in the bunny's voice.  
That, as well as the laid-back attitude she was showing, gave the reynard some peace of mind, making him believe that Judy was finding back to herself again.  
"We haven't arrested any more mayors yet," he let the tip of his tail - which was once more resting in the doe's lap - flick teasingly, brushing against her nose and causing Judy to sneeze.

An amused snort drew their attention back to the third mammal in the room, which had gone forgotten during the couple's little banter.  
"You probably don't like to hear that, Judy, but Nick is correct. I remember the Nighthowler Conspiracy - I recall it being called this - and your involvement in it."  
A sigh escaped the bunny's muzzle. "You have no idea, Cat. I hate it when Nick is right. Though it tends to happen more often than I want to admit."

The red panda waited for the tod's reaction to his mate's comment.  
When nothing happened besides the fox gazing intently into space, her eyes flickered back to Judy.  
The doe was looking at her mate with a smug smile on her face.  
Her paws were fiddling with the tip of Nick's tail.  
Looking back at him, Cat saw the slight tremble in the tod's ears, the almost invisible twitch in his eyes, the barely noticeable shudder that went through his body whenever the doe gently twisted and turned the appendage.

And when Judy softly tugged at the tip, a just audible yip escaped the reynard.  
"A-alright, that's enough," he huffed, not entirely able to hide his panting when he quickly withdrew his tail from the doe's dangerous paws' reach.  
Looking quite flustered, he added a whispered "Naughty bunny," after a moment.

Cat couldn't help but admire those two.  
She had witnessed her fair share of heartache and tears from mammals sitting across from her in those seats.  
If it wasn't just one lonely female.

But this time? A fox and a rabbit? Ancient enemies?  
No, these two were perfect, as if they were made for each other.

Subtly, she scented the air once more and caught a whiff of the mark they had left on each other probably just before they had entered her office.  
To her, it spoke volumes about their bond, how they supported each other while facing the uncertainties they must have felt lay before them.

Cat watched when the doe gestured for her fox's tail with outstretched arms, barely holding in a laugh when she saw the doubtful expression on his face before he reluctantly let it slip back into Judy's lap, where she gently petted it once more.  
The red panda couldn't stop her chuckle, though, when the gentle touch drew a purr from the vulpine.  
Both mammals' ears swiveled towards her, insides turning bright red upon realizing that they were still in the presence of the ailurid.

With equally embarrassed expressions they focused back on the small predator, and Cat thought once more to herself how well they fitted each other.

With another soft chuckle that caused their blushes to deepen, the doctor folded her paws on her desk.  
"There is one more thing I have to ask before we can conclude this appointment, as long as you don't have any more questions afterward."  
Both fox and rabbit regarded her with equally curious expressions.

"I have mentioned before that the chance of disabilities and miscarriage is higher in case there are predispositions running in your families. Do you know of any such?"  
Nick shook his head and glanced at the doe next to him, who had waited for his reaction before following suit and turning back towards Cat.  
"Good, but still you should probably ask just to be on the safe side. And now-"

"Wait a moment," Nick interrupted the surprised red panda. "There is actually something I'd like to know before we go."

Both females gave the tod an inquiring look, waiting for him to continue.  
"You said earlier that pregnancies for interspecies couples are essentially not different from .. well, _regular_ ones. Without trying to belittle what you are doing here, but what exactly _is_ a specialist for cross-species conception doing?"  
"Nick!" Judy's ears had fallen behind her head in shock upon the reynard's question, her eyes wide in disbelief.

A soft whimper escaped his muzzle.  
"Carrots, the tail, _the tail!_ " Suprised, the bunny let go of the appendage which she had squeezed maybe a little harder than she should have, an apologetic expression appearing on her face.

Chuckling, the smaller predator across from them shrugged it off.  
"Don't worry, Judy. I'm not offended by this question. I hear it quite often, to be honest. Though rarely phrased as politely as this."

"And to answer it," she continued, "you have to realize that very, very few doctors know exactly what each fetus for every specific species has to look like while growing inside the female's womb. It's no wonder, considering how many evolved mammals we are talking about and how different many aspects of a pregnancy can be for those species. And when it comes to cross-species conception, all those concepts get mixed up, resulting in embryos of varying shapes and sizes. Someone like me has studied intensely to gather as much knowledge as possible about all those species and has to be very adaptive in their thinking to realize if something is off with the life growing inside of a mother so that we can respond as early as possible _should_ the need arise."

The doe's ears went down halfway, a quizzical look appearing on her face.

"I see," the fox spoke up, a small smile on his face.  
"Sometimes, things don't go the way you intend them to, so you have to be able to pick up on those little signs, be quick in your thinking, and work with what you got to reach the goal you have aimed for."

Ears shooting up again, Judy gazed at her mate in surprise.  
She knew those words.  
Nick had often described to her what it had been like to be a conmammal, and how often his hustles hadn't worked the way he planned them to.  
 _A plan is often just a list of things which do not happen,_ was a way he liked to phrase it.  
He had to improvise, steering the situation in a preferable direction while playing it by ear.

Looking back at the doctor, she saw that Cat was wearing a small smile of her own, both mammals silently agreeing.

"If that answers your question and you haven't anything else you'd like to know, I would suggest we set a date for your next appointment, Judy. You will also have to come by twice a week for the next two to three weeks. This way, we will be able to observe the development of the fetuses and make sure that everything is alright with them and their mommy."

That last comment charmed a smile from the doe and with a nod she signaled that she understood.

"After that," the red panda continued, "weekly will be enough since you will be pretty much in the green by then and we will most likely be able to estimate the due date."

* * *

When they left the hospital, Nick was relieved to find that his mate appeared to be much calmer.  
Though he didn't miss that she was still deep in thought and awfully quiet throughout their walk back towards the subway station as well as during their ride home.  
Deciding that the overfilled cart of a sub wasn't the right place to ask what was troubling her, the tod chose to wait until they would be back at their apartment.

Admittedly, it made him nervous how he caught Judy stealing glances at him now and then, her ears twitching like they wanted to lower themselves every time before she caught herself and forced them to stay up.

 _What have I missed?  
Have I done something wrong?  
Oh in the name of Maid Marian, I didn't do something to upset her today of all days, did I?_

Now it was him who had to keep his ears and especially his tail from twitching nervously while he mentally skimmed through everything that happened today, looking for something he needed to apologize to his love before it was too late.

Both mammals were so deep in thought that they almost missed their stop.  
With a jump, the tod bolted out of his seat, and quickly took his bunny by her paw, leading her out of the sub moments before the doors closed.

* * *

Reaching their apartment, Nick hadn't even a chance to ask Judy what it was that lay so heavy on her mind.  
As soon as the door clicked shut and he turned towards her, a grey ball of fur hit him, causing him to lose his footing and stumble against the door, sliding down the wood until he was sitting on the floor.

The sobbing bunny he was holding in his arms startled him, causing only a surprised "What...?" to leave his muzzle.  
His mind abuzz, he quickly embraced his mate, letting a paw run down her back and ears soothingly, as he had already done multiple times that day.

When he was finally about to ask Judy what had caused that emotional outburst, the doe beat him to it.

"I'm sorry. Nick, I'm so s-sorry. I was such a dumb b-bunny."  
Her words were interrupted by small sobs and hiccups.

"What are you even apologizing for, Sweetheart?"

"B-because I had never thought about having kits. Have never ex-expected it to happen with y-you. And w-when it happened... I didn't know how to handle i-it. There were so many things I didn't know; so many th-things I was scared about: so many fears I just couldn't handle. Without you I... I might have done something I w-would have regretted later."  
She buried her head against his chest, leaving her next words muffled.

"Thank you. Thank you for being h-here. Thank you for being with me. Thank you for being _you_. And thank you for staying with me, despite e-everything."

Another sob shook the bunny's frame and made Nick's heart ache even more, after all the things she had told him.

Before she could go on, the tod interrupted her.  
"There is nothing to forgive, Judy."  
He tightened his embrace just a little, giving his love a light squeeze and causing her to snuggle up to him even more.

"I can see that all of this must have been terrifying to you. I don't say I understand completely how you felt, but I don't have to to see how shaken you were; how distraught. I honestly had never expected this to happen to us, as well. I was overwhelmed when you told me this morning. Though, believe it or not, I had always dreamed of becoming a dad."

A soft smile was playing on the reynard's lips.  
Judy lifted her head from his chest, looking at her mate with surprise.  
"You... you did?"  
The tod nodded, his smile growing a little wider.

"Right, your reaction this morning had surprised me. I would have never thought that the cynical pawpsicle-hustler I met years ago would have wanted to be a father, though."  
Her tears had stopped by then, and the slightest smirk was adorning her muzzle.

Nick gently swiped some stray moisture from her cheeks with his thumb.  
"That's why I said it was just a dream. After my dad had died when I was still young and since life dealt blow after blow to me at every chance, I wished I could have kits whom I could be there for. See them grow up; make them laugh whenever I could; have them live a happy childhood and show them that life can be good. But considering that I'm a fox and assuming they would be foxes as well - a species which I thought society would never let truly be happy - I believed I would never have a chance to make that dream come true. Just another one to add to the list."

He pressed a quick kiss on his bunny's nose.

"But then you came around, hopping into my life without warning. Turning everything upside down. I have loved you for doing so ever since. You gave me new hope. You became my new dream. You showed me that we really could make a change. A small bunny and a shady fox. My life had taken a new direction because of you. The mammals around us changed. Damned, we gave the impulse, and the whole city started to change as well, slowly but steadily. And now... now I'll have the chance to make this other dream come true as well. All because of you, Judy."

Her tears had started to flow again, though this time, they were ones of joy instead of sorrow and regret.

When cuddling up against her fox once more, she started tooth purring.

After a while, her cheeks had almost dried again. "Thank you, Nick."  
Her words were soft and betrayed the exhaustion the doe felt at that point after everything this day had thrown at her.

Nick pressed a gentle kiss to the base of one of his mate's ears and continued to let his paws run down her back comfortingly.  
"If it helps, I think you'll be a great mom," he whispered softly.  
"What makes you say that?" Judy's was voice heavy as if she was already on the brink of falling asleep.  
"You've grown up with more than two hundred siblings, quite some of them younger than you, so you have definitely seen your fair share of chaos while growing up and know how to handle kits. Two, three or even four of our own won't be a problem, I'm sure of that."  
The reynard briefly nuzzled his mate's cheek affectionately before he continued.  
"You are also one of the most amazing mammals I know. You are kind, caring and compassionate. You know how to give others hope, how to inspire them always to try their best, and how to instill in others the will to go on, even when they are down. I mean, look at me! You have caused cynical old me, who was always dancing on the line between legal and illegal, to become a cop and believe in myself and others again. And that all despite the fact that back then, you were nothing but a small, _cute_ bunny in a meter maid outfit."

A weak cuff to his side was the lagomorph's only reaction to his use of the 'c' word.

With a small chuckle, he continued: "What I'm trying to say is, if there is one mammal suited to be a good mom - a mom that would be able to raise her kits to be just as perfect as she is - then it's you, Judy. And if you are patient enough to bear with me for as long as you did, then you will be able to deal with a bunch of kits as well, even when they are fifty percent mine."

Silence filled their home after Nick had finished, joining the twilight that had settled in by then, and for a moment, he thought the doe had fallen asleep.  
But then she started talking in a soft voice.

"I think you will be a most wonderful dad as well. You are such a forgiving, patient mammal. If anybody knows that, it's me. And despite everything that has happened in your life, you had never really given up. There is a heart of gold beating in this chest. It has always been there, even if you had hidden it away for a while."

The tod opened his muzzle to tell her how cheesy that sounded, even after his own little speech.  
But a soft ' _thud'_ on his paw made him stop.

Looking at the spot, he glimpsed a small droplet of water.  
After a second, he realized that it was a tear.  
He was the one who cried, now.

As always, Judy had found her way straight to the very heart she had been talking about.  
She had always been able to do this, even back when he still had his walls and masks to protect him.

Swiping away the tears with the back of his paw, he tried once more to answer to her sweet words, only to realize through the bunny's soft breathing that she had drifted to sleep at last.

Smiling down at the warm doe still clinging to him, Nick thought to himself that it _had_ been a demanding day.  
Trying not to wake her, the tod stood up as carefully as possible and started walking towards their bedroom with the slightly snoring grey ball of fluff in his arms.  
Twilight was slowly turning into the darkness of the night, but the tod kept the lights off, relying only on his night vision to find his way.

When he attempted to gently let the doe down on the bed, he found that it might be a bit trickier than he had thought.  
Judy was still clinging to him tightly, apparently unwilling to let go of her fox.  
More than that, when Nick tried to pry the doe loose gingerly so he would be able to get ready for bed, she started to shift in her sleep, a protesting moan escaping her muzzle.

Afraid to rouse her by continuing, the fox relented.  
With one arm slung around his bunny, he slowly wriggled out of his pants and let them fall into a heap on the ground.  
The shirt was more difficult though, with Judy partially clinging to it, partially just trapping it between them.  
Sitting down at the edge of the bed and shifting her around cautiously in his lap he was able to get rid of that part of clothing as well after a couple of minutes.

Thankfully, Judy had gotten rid of her jacket right upon entering their apartment.  
Nick was convinced he wouldn't be able to remove any part of her clothing without waking her up, so he left her the way she was, lay down with the bunny - his beloved mate - in his arms and pulled the blanket over them.

Looking at her, he thought to himself that she could be a really clingy critter and quite a pawfull at times.  
 _And I love her even more for that._

Slightly shifting in her sleep, the doe snuggled against his front, her nose burrowing itself into his chest fur.

While his body finally relaxed, his mind was wandering back to all the events of the day.  
When they came rushing back to him, the sheer enormity of everything that had happened made his head reel.

He was going to be a dad.  
Judy would be the mother of his kits.  
Their relationship had taken on a whole new level despite how the day had started with a near catastrophe.

While sleep was constantly circling his mind on the back of his exhaustion, it seemed he wasn't ready to slip away yet.  
He couldn't stop looking at Judy's sleeping form, marveling at the fact that he should really be that lucky.  
For the briefest of moments he was afraid it was all just a dream, but right then the doe shifted a little in her sleep again.

The feeling of her fur brushing against his.  
The little content sigh that escaped her.  
Her warmth that seeped into him.  
Her scent, still freshly mingled with his from them marking each other back at the hospital.

No, it was all real.

Real enough that he felt how tears started to form in his eyes once more.

A little voice that sounded like Finnick laughed at him from the back of his mind,  
 _"_ _Ya became such an emotional wuss since the bunny cop wrapped ya around her tiny, blunt claw, ya'aware of that?"_

Nick agreed.  
And he had never been happier to do so.

Placing his nose between the doe's ears, he finally closed his eyes and drifted into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

¹Red pandas are the only living species of the family Ailuridae. After misreading an article about them the first time, I thought they were part of the family mustelidae (like e.g. otter and weasel).  
After declaring her a 'mustelid' a couple of times before realizing my mistake, I decided to go with something of a similar design and used an alteration of Ailuridae, namely "ailurid"  
Using it for the first time felt strange, but after using and reading it multiple times I started to like it. What about you guys?

²Belonephobia = fear of needles


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**  
Now that took a while, but here it is. Enjoy the second chapter of Blindsided ;-)

A big thanks to my buddies Quakky and A big admirer of time for proofreading this chapter. You guys are awesome ^^

* * *

Bright morning light fell through the windows onto the sleeping form of the vulpine, his amber fur glowing like it was composed of captured flames.

As if he felt the sun's gentle touch, the fox started to rouse, his mind only slowly finding back to reality from the comfortable depths of his slumber.

Squinting against the bright light, Nick's gaze fell upon the doe at his side.

When he had fallen asleep the night before, one of his paws had been on the small of her back. Since she was now laying with her back to him, his paw, which was still slung around her, had come to rest on her stomach.

He wasn't surprised to find that Judy had turned in her sleep. It was nothing unusual as the bunny was often moving during the night, causing the tod to lose more sleep due to that habit than she did herself.

Though, it had happened twice already that upon waking up in the morning, Nick had observed that his mate had moved to his other side apparently without waking him while crawling around - or over - him.

Reminded of the life growing inside the doe right beneath his paw, Nick started to caress her belly subconsciously. His features softened as a loving, tender expression adorned his face.

It was rare for him to wake up before his mate, and he savored the opportunity to simply watch her while she was still asleep.

To Nick, Judy had always been beautiful. It had irritated him the first time they had met. The way he hadn't been able to stop his eyes from following her, or his nose from seeking out her scent amongst a multitude of others, or how his heart had always seemed to beat ever so slightly faster than it should in her presence.

And now it meant the world to him, and more.

His gaze traveled up and down Judy's slender frame, admiring the gleam of her velvety, grey fur where the sun fell on it.

The heavy, warm scent that she gave off in the morning was the smell of home to him as well as the lighter one after she had woken up and started being the overly energetic bunny that had forced her way into his life.  
A bunny he had decided he never wanted to let go again.  
Another whiff of her scent and he realized it had started to change almost imperceptively.

After a while, the continued gentle strokes from the tod's paw drew a reaction from the doe.  
Roused by Nick's gentle touch, Judy slowly opened her eyes, taking in her surroundings.

Confusion filled her still waking mind.

 _I'm in bed... I didn't go to bed yesterday... how did I get here?_

Muddled memories were calling for her attention.  
The pregnancy tests.  
Her talk with Nick.  
Their appointment with Doctor Beare at the hospital.  
How they had come home.  
Her tears.  
Her apology.  
Her mate's compassionate words and forgiveness.

And now she was waking up in their bed.

 _No... no, no, no! This can't have all been just a dream!_

Her throat tightened and her eyes started burning.  
The feeling of loss should have surprised her considering how she had first felt when finding out she was with kits. But the happiness she had arrived at in the end had been real.  
And now all of this should be gone?  
Should have never been there in the first place?

Turning around, the doe faced her mate, not knowing what to do.  
She wanted to tell him. Wanted to tell him what was going on inside her head and heart.  
But she feared he wouldn't understand. Maybe he would think that she didn't want to be with him anymore since he wouldn't be able to give her kits.

It was only then that Judy realized that Nick's paw hadn't moved from her stomach, still gently caressing it.  
Looking him in the eyes, she saw his loving gaze resting on her and understanding send a wave of relief through her.

"It wasn't a dream."

The words left her muzzle before she knew it and the next moment she felt his lips against hers, a chaste kiss that dissolved her last doubts.

"No, it wasn't, my emotional little bunny," the tod agreed while Judy quickly wiped at her eyes to get rid of the tears which had been on the verge of spilling.

Judy softly smacked her fox in the chest. "After yesterday, I think I'm entitled to be one right now," she snuggled up against him.

A comfortable silence settled over them and gave her the chance to simply cherish the sound of Nick's heartbeat and the lovely songs of the birds that trickled in through the open bedroom window.  
One of her ears, which had been laying behind her relaxedly, started to twitch and, after a moment, rose and swiveled around until it was directed at the source of the sound.

Opening one eye, the doe gazed around to find out what had caused the nagging feeling of restlessness.

But their bedroom looked like it always did.  
Over the red-furred edge of her mate's body, she saw the top of their bright wooden wardrobe, a door slightly ajar since one of the hinges needed to be adjusted.

Right next to it, there was her old standing mirror that she had brought here from her former apartment which she used to live in after first moving to Zootopia.

Her eyes traveled down, taking in the violet duvet covers that Nick had insisted on buying since they apparently reminded him of her eyes. It had been a statement that had the doe turning bright red before pulling him down by his tie, pressing a quick kiss to his muzzle right in the middle of the store where they had bought them.  
The sunlight had almost reached her face, causing the usually darker color of the blanket to be nearly too bright.

Her other ear shot up, joining the first one while her eyes widened.  
In a swift motion, Judy rolled over, reaching for her phone on the nightstand just to grab thin air.  
For a moment she was confused before realizing that she was still wearing her everyday clothes instead of her pajamas.  
Reaching into her pocket, her paw found the cold, hard plastic and pulled out the slim device.

Nick - who had watched the bunny's frantic actions - could have sworn that when Judy jumped out of bed with an almost-curse on her lips the tips of her ears brushed the ceiling.

"Nick! Do you know how late it is? Roll call is in twenty minutes. We have barely five minutes to shower, or we'll be late!"

Propping himself up on one arm, the reynard shook his head in disbelief, a lopsided grin on his face.  
"After yesterday, don't you think we deserve some leeway? When we explain it to Chief Buffalo Butt, he'll understand. And we have to tell him anyway, so why not today?"

While the tod had been speaking, Judy had already taken their uniforms out of the wardrobe, both sets hanging neatly on one of its doors by their hangers.  
The doe herself was standing in front of the large bed, the clothes she had worn the day before lying in a heap on the ground so that she was only covered by her underwear, much to Nick's delight.  
He was so lost in the sight of his beautiful mate that he almost missed her reply.

"First of all, I'm not even showing yet, so there is no reason to lay back and _not_ hurry. And secondly, I have a perfect record of being on time, and as long as I'm not on maternity leave, I'll keep it that way. So get your fluffy butt in gear, stop ogling me and hurry to take a shower so I can take mine!"

Shaking his head in mild amusement at his mate's usual unyieldingness, Nick finally crawled out of bed. Standing up, the tod stretched himself luxuriously, hearing the joints in his arms, shoulders and back pop with a satisfying sound.

Judy's eyes were glued to the fox's frame.  
Muscles, strong from working out on a regular base, rippled beneath his fur and gave the formerly lanky ex-street-hustler a sleek, athletic appearance.

"Like what you see?" The tod's question jerked her out of her dreamy state.  
His self-satisfied smirk grew a little wider when the insides of her ears turned a bright pink.

"Not enough to _not_ drag you to the precinct by your tail and in your underwear if you don't hurry."

A sigh escaped the reynard's lips. Though he was actually relieved to find Judy to be back to her usual ways, instead of being the shaken up bundle of nerves she had been the day before.

The next moment his smirk returned.  
"Well, since we are short on time..." he picked up Judy unceremoniously, threw her over his shoulder and headed towards the bathroom.

Laughing out in surprise, the doe gave him a soft playful whack on the back.

Before Nick set her down, Judy caught a glimpse of the sink over his shoulder.  
There was no sign of the in hindsight ridiculous amount of pregnancy tests which had occupied the porcelain just twenty-four hours ago. While the two of them had been waiting for their appointment the day before, the doe had gotten rid of those during one of her visits to the toilet.

"You wanna shower in your underwear?" The voice of her fox drew Judy back to the present.

"Or do you need some help undressing?" He added with a wriggle of his eyebrows that drew an amused snort from her.

"I'm perfectly well capable of doing this myself, thank you very much."

Depositing the pieces of undergarment in the clothes basket, Judy turned around to watch her mate step into the shower in the fur. For a moment, she just stood there and watched the handsome canine - a probably not entirely unintentional shake of his 'fluffy butt' reigniting her former blush - before remembering that they were already cutting it close.

Following Nick into the shower cabin, she ignored his cheeky grin and quickly grabbed his shower gel, squeezing some into her paw and lathering the fox up. It was a special brand that contained a low amount of scent mask and was meant for mammals with a heavy natural musk.

Not that she minded his natural scent. Quite the opposite.  
The strong, earthy, somewhat spicy fragrance he gave off was for some reason very comforting to her.

Meanwhile, the tod had turned the water on and took a moment to adjust the temperature before he reached for Judy's own body wash and returned the favor.

Both mammals refrained from getting too close to each other's tail, though, knowing that it probably would lead to a much more frisky shower experience than they had aimed for.

Not that it would be the first time for them. Loving their mate while a relaxing hot shower caressed both their bodies felt heavenly to them, especially after a long, demanding day at work.

But not today.

Nick knew what he'd like to do with his beautiful, _naked_ mate right at that moment, but he also knew that if they should end up late because of him, he would probably end up with a bruise and unfavorable sleeping arrangements for an entire week.  
Meaning the fox would have to sleep on the couch.

So he behaved.

His paws didn't stray from their job nor wandered where they shouldn't.  
Even if her body was so firm yet soft.

His eyes didn't linger too long where they otherwise would if it was up to them.  
Even if there were shades of grey that were only visible when she wore nothing.

After a mere couple of minutes, he turned off the water, the last traces of foam swirling down the drain. While they stepped out of the shower, he couldn't help but press a soft kiss to his bunny's shoulder when she turned her back to him.

The doe gave off a happy little chirr and showed him a warm, loving smile before they got under the wall mounted body dryer, letting the hot air take care of their soaked fur.

"So, are we going to let Chief Buffalo Butt know about your pregnancy today or would you rather wait a little longer?" Nick asked back in their bedroom while both slipped into their uniforms.

Stopping in the middle of getting dressed, Judy mulled his question over before giving him a quick nod. "I'd like to tell him sooner rather than later. Before I start putting it off."

 _Determined as ever. Good._ A smile crossed the tod's face.

"What's so funny, Slick?" Judy asked when she caught his expression in the mirror while giving herself a once over, polishing her badge with a routine that she had followed ever since putting it on for the first time, years ago.

"Just imagining the way the chief will look when we tell him."

Nick shot her reflection a lopsided grin, adjusting his tie the way he preferred it.  
Not too loose to be considered sloppy, but enough to look casual.

The doe turned around and walked over to him.

"You mean you are visualizing him huffing at us without batting an eye, making a note and telling us to get back to work if that's all we wanted to tell him?" she asked, playfully swatting his paws away while tightening the Windsor knot until it looked proper without strangling the reynard.

Rolling his eyes at her actions, he couldn't help but quip "You do realize that _that_ level of sarcasm is usually reserved for me, right? Maybe the old grump will actually be happy for us."

"And _you_ should realize that being overly optimistic would be my part in this conversation. Seems we are both rubbing off on each other." Judy's voice was laced with mirth.

Shaking his head in amusement, Nick pulled her closer, briefly nuzzling her between the ears before letting go again, ignoring the urge to mark her on top of it.  
He refrained from it only due to the fact that they would be on duty today, and should keep the status of their relationship behind a layer of musk mask for the sake of professionalism.  
At least, that was what his mate always told him.  
As soon as they had a day off, the bunny would leave her scent on him first thing in the morning, a favor he would return immediately, not caring who would smell it and might glare at them when they were out and about in the city.

"That's not what I meant," the doe's laughter pulled him from his musings, just a moment before a quick peck on his lips charmed a short, happy yip from him that he couldn't suppress, and which drew another laugh from his supposed better half.

For some reason, this kind of easygoing, natural banter between them was amongst the most treasured things in his life, worth more than every dollar he had ever earned.

"Say, weren't we in a hurry?"  
Judy's eyes widened at the fox's question.  
In a quick motion she pulled out her phone and checked the time.

"Carrot sticks!"

Their distracting shared shower and the pleasant morning atmosphere had created a relaxing effect that had caused the doe's worries about being punctual to retreat to the back of her awareness.

And now they wouldn't make it in time for roll call.

She wasn't sure if Nick had purposefully left it that way until it had been too late or if he just realized it then.  
Before she could ask him and give him a piece of her mind if necessary, the fox left the room.  
Judy could hear him rummaging around in the kitchen for a moment before he returned with a pawfull of food bars, throwing the doe one with fruits and another one with insects.

He gestured her to eat before unwrapping his own and digging in.  
When she continued to look at him in disbelief, the tod quickly swallowed the bite he had been chewing on.  
"Eat up, Carrots. Our Zuber will be here soon enough. And you know those drivers don't like mammals eating inside their cars."

With a self-satisfied smirk, Nick registered the way Judy's ears shot up in surprise.

"You called a Zuber? Why? When? I didn't hear you talking to anybody."

Pointing at the food in her paws with his second, half-eaten bar he waited for the bunny to bite a chunk out of hers before answering.  
"While I firmly believe that you, my dear Cottontail, need to chill at times, I have no intention of incurring your wrath by causing you to be late. So yes, I ordered one and it will be here in a couple of minutes."

He took another bite.  
"And you couldn't hear me because I simply used the app instead of calling. Would have ruined the surprise otherwise."

Judy shook her head in disbelief but with a grateful little smile.  
It was only then, after her first bite, that she became aware of how hungry she was.  
The day before had not profited her appetite so that she had gone without much more than a bowl of cereal.

She was wolfing down her impromptu breakfast - which was nothing more than a drop in the bucket at this point - when Nick's cell phone gave off a notification sound, probably announcing the Zuber's arrival.

Resisting the urge to lick the wrappers clean from any remaining crumbs, she told herself that she would just have to wait until their break to get something more substantial.

With an outstretched paw, Nick gestured for her empty wrappers. While he left for the kitchen once more, Judy got up from her spot on the edge of the bed and walked towards the front door, fishing her keys from their bowl on the sideboard.  
When the reynard reappeared, he was holding another two bars which he handed her with a wink.

"Just control yourself until we are either sitting at our desks at work or in the cruiser."

"As if I ever had any troubles with self-control. Also, does that mean you will drive for a change?" the bunny teased, pocketing the offered food.

While leaving the apartment with his partner by his side, Nick shrugged with his trademark smirk in place. "Of course. Not only would I help my lovely mate, I would also do the public a favor by keeping you away from the steering wheel."

" _Don't_ start with that one again. It was _one_ time. During a carrot-picking _snowstorm_ in _Tundratown_. And the _cruiser-_ "

"-wasn't adequately equipped. I know, I know," he chimed in, earning him a withering look from his female companion.  
With a sigh and a shake of her head she turned away from him and approached their Zuber.

The vehicle parked right in front of their apartment, just waiting for the two mammals to get in.

An older, grey-muzzled weasel sat in the driver's seat, giving them a small nod and a smile before asking them where to go.  
Nick told him their destination before leaning back into his seat.

After a moment, he reached over to his mate, taking the doe's paw in his.  
Usually, Judy discouraged every kind of affection between them as soon as they were wearing their uniforms and especially when they were in public, meaning that she often had to swat away wandering paws, give a light whack to a muzzle that came too close to her, or _gently_ elbow him in the side.

But sitting with just one more mammal in a Zuber hardly counted as public.  
So for once, she let herself enjoy the tod's affection and gave his paw a light squeeze in return.

A look at her cell phone helped her to relax, seeing how they would most likely make it on time.

With that problem off her mind, it seemed her brain decided it was the perfect moment to look at the happenings of the last twenty-four hours.

 _Has it really been just a day since I found out I'm pregnant?_ she wondered.

One day to turn her whole world upside down and sideways before everything just fell into place?

Could it really be that easy?

For the biggest part of her life, she had been afraid to become a mother; to feel kits grow inside of her just to lose them before they even had a chance to live.

That fear had driven her to pursue her goals with a vigor that was almost frightening to the mammals around her and caused many a buck to never approach her. And the few who still did, she had turned down without much thought.

It helped her a lot in regards to making her dream of joining the ZPD come true since there was no 'distraction' that could have kept her from it.  
But it had also made her feel lonely at times.

And now, she was a happily expecting mother, looking forward to meeting her kits for the first time with a warm smile on her face.  
It was as if someone had waved a magic wand over her, making her fears disappear.

But it wasn't that easy.

It had taken a visit to a doctor who had told her the truth about a thankfully favorable reality. And more than that, it was thanks to one very special, patient, kind fox who knew exactly what to do and loved her enough to stay with her even when she was at her lowest.

Her gaze wandered to the mammal in question.

Nick was facing towards the window making it impossible for her to see his expression, though she could just glimpse one upturned corner of his lips, giving away the smile he wore.

Thinking about it, it really was like a spell, though one that had been cast with the heart and not a wand.

When they arrived in front of Precinct One, Nick let go of the doe's paw to pay the driver, adding in a generous tip which the older mustelid took with a broad smile and a heartfelt thanks.

Opening the door, the tod was stopped in his tracks by a tug at his sleeve.  
He could only turn his head a little before the feeling of soft bunny lips against his cheek gave him pause.

"What was that for?" a slight chuckle tinged his words.  
"Just felt like it," Judy answered before jumping across the fox, exiting the vehicle on his side in a single leap.

"Weird bunny."

One of her ears twitched at the tod's teasingly muttered comment.

"Seems your mate keeps you on your toes, eh?"  
Nick looked at the weasel who regarded him with a knowing smile.

"Hurry, Slick, or we _will_ be late after all!" Judy's voice could be heard.  
With a shake of his head and a wide grin on his muzzle, Nick replied to the driver: "You have no idea, my friend," before following the doe.

Hurrying up the stairs behind a stag, they slipped in through the doors to the entrance hall just before they closed and zipped past Clawhauser, barely giving the portly cheetah a wave and a "Good morning."  
The feline did a double take at the grey and red blur passing him by, almost choking on his spoonful of Lucky Chumps.

They reached the bullpen the same moment as the Chief of Police who gave them an inquiring look, knowing fully well that his smallest officer and the pain in his butt that was her partner were almost never even close to being late.

For just a moment he pondered if some time consuming morning activities could have caused their lateness.

But he knew that Hopps loved her job too much to risk it like this, and not even Wilde was crazy enough to mess with his significant other when it came to their work.

Most of the time, at least, and not without having to face severe consequences for it.

"Good morning Chief," Judy greeted the cape buffalo  
His face remained expressionless, but the bovine instinctively knew that something was off.  
"Is there something you want from me, Hopps?" His voice was gruff as ever, not betraying the concern he felt.

A concern that grew when the lagomorph in front of him started to fiddle with the tip of one of her ears nervously, only letting go when her mate put his paw on her shoulder, giving it a light, supportive squeeze.

"We would like to talk to you after roll call. It's... it's quite important."

Bogo's gaze darted back and forth between the tense bunny and her softly smiling partner.

A question formed inside the bovine's head.

 _Could it be...? No, no that's impossible.  
On the other hoof, nothing would surprise me with those two anymore._

With another huff, he gave them a quick nod. "Come to my office afterward. And now, get in before I give you parking duty for the rest of the month."

Judy gave a quick, sharp salute before skidding into the room followed by her partner who gave his usual, lax two-finger salute while passing him by, ignoring the large mammal's glare.

Roll call was rather unspectacular since the city was calm without any big crimes going on.  
Most of the officers were assigned patrols or deskwork or the dreaded-by-all parking duty.

Only one team - Wolford and Fangmeyer - got a smaller case to work on.  
Some mammal or mammals had thought it a good idea to _improve_ the townhall by spraying some rather _vivid_ pictures on the walls to show what they thought about the upcoming amendment that would allow cross-species couples to get married, including some very colorful words to emphasize them.

Not that it would change anything.

More than that, it would probably add fuel to the ever-growing movement that supported these couples and the diversity that came with them.

With the growing attention interspecies-couples had gotten over the year, it was a small miracle that only their colleagues and a few friends knew about Nick and Judy's relationship while they had managed to leave most other mammals in the dark.

Or at least, it seemed like no one had thought that the rabbit and fox couple that was very lovey-dovey in public during their free time was the same, professional pair of officers that had solved the Nighthowler case and who were the first of their respective species to become part of the ZPD.  
A fact that to Judy only proved that her rule of no affection that she enforced during work without fail had been the right choice.  
Much to Nick's displeasure.

Well, one more mammal had found out about them, though they both agreed that it would have been impossible to keep it from them any longer anyway.

All in all, the city was quiet, leaving the members of the police relaxed, bored and feeling guilty for being bored.

Unless you counted in the somewhat jittery fox and bunny sitting in the first row who hadn't got any assignments for the day, following their chief out of the bullpen as soon as he dismissed everyone.

Nick and Judy could feel their fellow officers' gazes tracking them when they left the room in the shadow of the intimidating bovine.  
By the time they would leave his office, the rumor mill would have probably coughed up some very entertaining gossip, but for some reason, Nick could imagine that for once the truth would better it all.

While climbing the stairs to the third floor, Bogo didn't let on that he was even aware of their presence until they reached the door which most mammals hoped to never have to step through unless it was with good news.

That door was miraculously still intact, despite the fact that the occupant of the room behind it usually slammed it shut with enough force that the glass was rattling in its frame and the wood should have cracked years ago.

Though this time, the door stayed open to let the bunny and fox enter as well before it was closed with a whisper that in its silence reverberated throughout the building more than any bang or shout ever did.

* * *

About half an hour later, two very shaken mammals left that room.

Judy was staring into the distance, her face empty besides the trace of disbelief that was edged into it.

All the while Nick looked utterly appalled.  
His normally well-controlled features were all over the place. His ears were flicking back and forth as if an annoying insect was buzzing around his head while the tip of his tail was twitching, as was one of his eyelids.

Muzzle gaping open, it seemed he needed all of his concentration to finally create some words.

"I..." he swallowed in an attempt to wet his dry throat, "I can't believe it. The chief... I have never seen him like this before. You?"

The doe simply shook her head slightly, her eyes never moving from the unseen spot they were focused on nor did her ears let on that she was actually listening to him... or anything at all.

"I mean," his tongue darted out in a show of nervousness, "who would have thought that he - the gruff buffalo who is always fair in his tough love - could be so... so..."

He was at a loss for words until Judy spoke up, her voice as blank as her face.

"Happy."

The tod nodded along vigorously.

"Yes! _Happy!_ "

When they had settled into one of the - to them absurdly big - chairs in front of Bogo's desk and started to explain the happenstances of their last twenty-four hours that had ultimately caused their almost-lateness this morning, the impressive figure of the bovine had risen.

While walking around his desk, the two small mammals had shrunken deeper and deeper into their seat until he was standing right in front of them.

And then the unthinkable happened.

He had smiled.

Not a small one. A broad, splitting-his-face-from-ear-to-ear kind of grin that had surprised them even more than him cracking a joke the first day Nick had been assigned to Precinct One.

That was only part of what had broken the duo, though, since the next moment they had found themselves in a tight but not bone-crushing embrace, pressed to the chief's chest while he had congratulated them excessively before putting the now marginally disheveled looking officers back down.

"Well, at least he had threatened to punish us with parking duty alternating between Sahara Square and Tundratown until our kits would be grown up if we should tell anybody about this part of our... uhm... _conversation,_ " Nick attempted a joke, rewarding him with his mate finally focusing back on the here and now.

They had reached their little cubicle with its one large desk that was meant for mid-sized mammals but was occupied by two computers designed for small ones like them.

In front of the desk stood two height-adjustable chairs which they would sit in for the next four to eight weeks.

"What I don't get," the bunny finally spoke up, apparently having overcome her initial shock, "is why you explicitly asked to be put on desk duty with me until my maternity leave. You could still be out there, working with another team in the meantime. You hate paperwork almost as much as I do."

The reynard had jumped into his own seat, letting it rise until he was on eye-level with his partner.

"That's exactly the reason why I did it, oh my sweet Cottontail. You absolutely detest paperwork, and I know that it would drive you up a wall before the end of the day. So I decided I'll stay with you and try to brighten your day with my presence like I always do before you outright flatten the whole building in a rage fit."

While giving his overly dramatic explanation, Nick spun around in his chair, making the doe's head spin right along the longer she watched him. Right before she was about to yell at him to stop it, he grabbed the edge of their shared desk, coming to a halt looking straight into her eyes, a lopsided grin plastered across his muzzle.

"I'm doomed," was Judy's muttered reply to her fox's antics.

"Ouch, that hurt a little, Fluff. I could almost think you wouldn't want me here."

Turning around, she focused on her computer and the paperwork in her document in-tray, leaving Nick hanging for an answer.

Sensing that he was a little disappointed by her reaction or lack thereof, she reached over without looking and scratched the tod under his chin, smiling when soft purring set in.

"And now get to work, Slick," she ordered while withdrawing her paw again.

She saw out of the corner of her eye how he readied himself to protest and intervened. "We can cuddle all you want once we are home again. I can even give you some belly rubs if that's what you hope for."

She couldn't suppress a chuckle when she heard the rhythmic 'thud, thud, thud' of the reynard's tail thumping against his chair as well as watching his happily perking up ears.

"Weeeell, as good as that sounds, I think we will have to do something else first."

The inquiring look his mate shot him prompted him to elaborate. "Have you forgotten what Cat had told us?"

It took Judy only a second to realize what he was talking about, causing her ears to shoot up before immediately falling back down.

"Oh... yeah, I almost forgot about that. I guess you are right, we should probably do that first." A sigh escaped the doe.

"Now, now, I'm sure it's going to be alright," Nick assured her.

A small, unconvinced smile crossed her face before she focused back on her work, trying to distract herself at least for the next eight hours.

Inwardly, Nick hoped he wasn't too far off the mark.

* * *

"Are you sure this really is a good idea?"

Judy was fiddling nervously with one of her ears while fidgeting on her spot on the couch.  
Nick sat down next to his tense bunny, curling his tail around her in a calming manner.

"We both knew that we would have to tell them about us sooner or later. But our plans to drive down to Bunnyburrow are definitely off the table for now. We have no idea how far along you'll be. Or maybe the little ones will already be born then. Also, since Cat wanted us to ask about inherited diseases running in our families, we need to talk to them anyway."

Judy nodded along, but it wasn't helping her nerves at all. The fact that they had to call now because she was pregnant from a mate her parents didn't even know about before wasn't helping either.

Nick briefly nuzzled her cheek.

"Let's just get it over with. Like yanking off a band-aid."  
The silly comparison drew a least a small amused snort from her before she agreed and started the MuzzleTime call.

"That doesn't really make me feel better, though," she admitted while waiting.

Without thinking, Nick put an arm around her, pulling her closer and causing the doe to lean against him.

When the call connected, the faces of two older bunnies appeared on the screen.  
Nick and Judy greeted them, only realizing that they were still cuddled up when they saw the surprise flashing across Stu and Bonnie's faces.  
Both lagomorphs exchanged a quick glance that clearly said 'Why is our daughter snuggling with her partner?'

"So, Sweety, how come you two are calling out of the blue?" the Hopps matriarch asked.

Seeing his mate struggle to find the right way to explain, Nick quickly chimed in.  
"Well, Bonnie, we wanted to talk about our planned visit to the Burrows next month."

"The visit? That's still about six or seven weeks away, isn't it?" Stu asked, wondering why they would want to talk about this now.

"True, but," Judy looked at the fox next to her who gave her a slight nod, "we will probably not be able to make it. And, you see... since there was more to this visit than just me wanting to see you and my siblings again, we, uhm... we decided that we should... that it might be a good idea to call you and t-tell you this way instead of delaying it any longer."

Her parents watched their nervously rambling daughter with mirroring confused expressions, waiting for her to finally tell them what was on her mind.

Taking a deep breath, Judy forced out the words. "Nickandiareacouple."

She waited with bated breath for her parents' reaction.

"Sorry, Jude, but could you please repeat that a little slower," her dad asked while her mom's gaze was alternating between her and Nick, understanding starting to set in.

"I... Nick and I are dating. Actually... we have already chosen each other as mates... some months ago. We have not started living together because it was cheaper or more convenient or anything."

The younger doe's ears drooped behind her as soon as the confession had left her. She suddenly felt ashamed of not telling them sooner.

The stunned bunnies looking at them from her cell phone didn't make it any better.

After a moment to collect her thoughts, Bonnie spoke up, her voice a lot softer than Judy had feared it would be.

"I had speculated about it for a while now, to be honest. With the way you have been talking about Nicholas when he wasn't present as well as how you looked at him, I had started to wonder, especially after you two moved in together. I just thought if it were the case, you would have already told us."

Sadness tinged the older doe's voice, causing Judy to feel quite miserable.

"Mom, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hide it. It's just..."

Bonnie shook her head, interrupting her crestfallen daughter.

"Don't be, Sweety. I can understand why you had been reluctant to let us know right away. If I'm honest, I don't know if I would have acted differently in your place, with the way we used to talk about predators. I can't blame you."

She regarded her daughter with guilt, not knowing what to say anymore, while Judy looked forlorn upon hearing her mother's words.

Stu, who's gaze had been flitting from his wife to his daughter to her mate and back, trying to take in everything that had been said in the last minutes was breaking out of his stupor, Bonnie's last words giving him pause.

It was true, they... well, especially him... had set a bad example for all their kits by judging other mammals based upon their species or even just by what their ancestors used to eat.

Predators are dangerous, and the worst of them all are foxes.  
That's what they had emphasized.

He knew what he had to do.

"I'm sorry."

The sudden apology had the other three mammals taken aback, three pairs of eyes settling on him.

The buck swallowed.

"I should have questioned the things my parents and grandparents had told me when I was younger. None of us had had much to do with predators, and yet everybody _knew_ exactly what they were like. I shouldn't have simply accepted those things without questioning them."

His cap had found its way into his paws where he was wringing it, looking for a way to convey what he wanted to tell his daughter. And her mate.

"Judy, I want you to know how proud I am of you. Despite it all, you have found your own way. You have neither given up on your dream nor did you back down from wanting to overcome those prejudices, no matter if they were against other species or your own.  
If not for the example you have set, I wouldn't be working with Gideon or would have started to support the McJackols who had taken over the old store from Herbert Duggert when he decided he couldn't keep it up after his heart attack. I guess, what I want to say is, I have learned a lot from you, and I'm thankful for it. And so sorry for always trying to hold you back."

The doe was sniffling by the time Stu was thanking her, and if he were there, she would pull him into a tight hug right then.

"And you," the buck continued, focusing on the tod next to his daughter who's ears laid back against his head, "from what I have been told about you and seen for myself, you are amongst the best mammals I've ever known. And if my little Jude-the-dude-"

"Dad!" Judy couldn't help but cry out at the use of her old nickname, causing her father to chuckle.

"Well, if she had chosen you as her mate, then I'm happy for her. And I'm glad it's a mammal... _a fox_ like you."

Bonnie's eyes had grown wider and wider while her husband had been talking and his last statement caused not only her but also Judy's jaw to drop.

Both knew that the older buck had changed since his daughter had become an officer for the ZPD.  
Heck, the whole family knew that the Hopps patriarch had started reconsidering his old, outdated views.  
But neither his wife nor his daughter would have expected him to not even give Nick his usual overly protective father routine.

Proud of her husband, Bonnie gave him a kiss on the cheek while Judy squeezed her mates paw, looking at him with joy only to find Nick's eyes to turn a little misty.

Clearing his throat to get rid of the lump that had formed there he also caught the buck's attention.

"Thank you, Stu. Hearing you say that honestly means a lot to me. Maybe more than you can understand or imagine."

Knowing her husband well enough, Bonnie saw the first signs of him tearing up as well.  
Dead set on stopping the waterworks before they started, she decided a diversion was needed.

"You really make for a lovely couple. But while I'm happy to finally know about it, I don't see why you decided to tell us now instead of during the visit you had planned. Why do you want to cancel it anyway?"

Both Judy and Nick had forgotten entirely about the initial reason they had called.

Their surprised expressions changed to something Bonnie couldn't put a name on when they turned to look at each other.

A feeling of dread set in when it occurred to her that something bad must have happened.  
She was about to ask, but her husband beat her to it.

"Oh no, is one of you sick? Or injured? You... you don't need to get hospitalized? Do you need surgery? How bad is it?"

Judy and Nick shook their heads, both slightly shocked at the bucks anxious outburst.

"We are neither hurt nor sick, dad."

"You don't have to worry, Stu."

Their asseverations calmed the buck down enough to stop him from sweating bullets.

And Bonnie understood everything.

Her daughter was gazing at her mate with a tender expression while the tod pulled her a little closer, returning her look with just as much love in it. His tail was curled around Judy protectively and her paw that wasn't entwined with the fox's had subconsciously moved to her stomach, gently rubbing it.

"You are pregnant!" The words had left her muzzle before she realized it.

"What?" Stu looked at his wife baffled before a laugh escaped him.

"Bon Bon, they are entirely different species. There is no way our Jude could be pregnant."

But the older doe simply ignored him, if she had even heard him in the first place. Her eyes never left the two mammals on the other end of the phone.

Two mammals who now regarded them with identical expressions of surprise, nervousness, and happiness.

And then he saw it himself. Saw all the little telltale signs that left him at a loss for words.

Both the older bunnies were unable to say anything while the young parents-to-be waited for their reaction, growing tenser the more the silence prolonged.

A minute passed without a word being ushered.  
Then another one.

When Bonnie finally opened her muzzle, Judy's heart skipped a beat.  
"Is it really true?"

The younger doe still looked insecure since she simply couldn't read her mother's expression.

"Yes, it is. We only found out yesterday, and we were just as blindsided."

"So... the reason you are not coming to Bunnyburrow is..."

"... that we don't know if I'll be just heavily pregnant by then or if the little ones will already be born. We don't have an approximate date yet," Judy ended.

"My little Jude-the-dude will be a mom. I'll be a granddad," Stu suddenly whispered.  
Right before he fainted.

Rolling her eyes, Bonnie looked at the spot where her husband had just vanished out of the other two mammals' sight.

"It's always the same. Like he hadn't become a grandfather dozens of times before."  
A chuckle escaped her before turning back towards her cell phone's screen.

"Will he be alright?" Nick asked, slightly concerned by the buck's reaction.

"He'll be fine. Don't worry about it, Nicholas."

Something was still on the Hopps Matriarch's mind, her eyes flickering back and forth between her daughter and her mate.

"You said you were just as surprised by all this. You hadn't planned on having kits then?"

It was that part of the conversation which Judy had dreaded most.  
She knew that her parents were not amused when some of their kits had been _fooling around_ without proper protection resulting in unexpected bundles of joy, sometimes even before they had been mated to the mother or father of the kits respectively.  
And while they weren't adamant about being married before starting a family since lagomorphs choose lifemates, she wasn't mated to a bunny but a fox.  
Oh, they were all about mating for life as well, but her parents didn't know that, yet.

Taking a deep breath to steel her nerves for a likely unpleasant talk that was coming at them she answered.

"No, we hadn't planned them. And since we didn't know it was even possible, we didn't contracept."

She heard a barely audible gulp coming from her mate, showing that he realized the situation they were in.

"I see. Do you want them?"

The question caught her off guard.  
She had expected her mom to give her an earful, but so far she seemed composed.

Judy looked at Nick, giving his paw another squeeze, a loving, happy smile on her face.

"Yes. Yes, I want them."  
She hadn't turned away from him while speaking and the moment she had finished, the tod pressed a soft kiss on her lips.

The answer wasn't what Bonnie had anticipated.  
She always knew that her daughter had dreaded to get pregnant, witnessing her own heartbroken state whenever she had lost some of her kits.

But there was no doubt in the younger doe now.

Maybe she had been reading too much into it.  
Or Judy had overcome those fears over the years.

 _Or,_ Bonnie thought while watching her daughter and her mate, _she had merely found the one mammal that was meant to be with her. The one who could help her conquer her fears._

When the couple finally focused back on her, she wore a smile that told Judy she wouldn't have to face a tongue-lashing or any disapproval from her mom.

"Congratulations you two. I'm really happy for you."

A wide grin almost split Judy's face, and Nick wasn't faring any better, his tail happily wagging in her lap.

Knowing that her parents - or in his case, knowing that his mate's parents - were not only alright with their relationship but also supported their admittedly last-minute 'decision' to start a family of their own almost felt like a dream.  
But no, both of them were already beyond that point by now.

"Thank you, mom."

"Thank you, Bonnie."

The older doe's smile widened some more.  
"You two have to promise me something, though."

Two pairs of ears perked up, waiting for her request.

"Visit us as soon as you can. I want to see my newest grandkits as early as possible. Oh, I'm so curious what they will look like. But considering their parents," she regarded the both of them now with unveiled joy, "I know they will be absolutely beautiful and adorable."

Ears turning a slight shade of pink, Judy told her they would come to Bunnyburrow as soon as they would be able to.

"Under one condition," Nick added, drawing the two females' attention to him.

"Please, stop calling me Nicholas and just call me Nick, okay?" he asked with a smile.

"Oh, yes we can do that. I'll tell Stu once he wakes up," Bonnie chuckled at the tod's plea.

"If that's all, I will fetch some cold water for my husband now, and-"

"Wait a moment, mom. There is actually something we meant to ask you."

Judy felt her nervousness return now that she was about to ask what had initially caused them to call her parents.

She felt Nick pull her just a little closer, enough so that she calmed down.

"I told you that we had an appointment with a doctor yesterday - a gynecologist - and she wanted us to ask if any known inherited diseases are running in our families. Do you know of any?"

Bonnie took some time to think her daughter's question over, understanding quite well that it was not only something that mattered to her doctor, but also to the young doe herself.

"We had some cases of diabetes on my side of the family and some of infertility on your father's. There was also my aunt Sybill who had leukemia, and I'm sure the doctor had said something about that there could be inherited depositions which might encourage it. But so far none of my siblings or yours had shown any signs of this. I'll ask your father later if he can think of anything else."

"Thank you."

Reassured, Judy relaxed on her spot on the couch, feeling her mate nuzzle her behind an ear briefly.

"For everything," Nick added after a moment in a solemn voice.

After saying their goodbyes, Judy put her phone away, slumping down slightly now that everything was said and the tension started to fade.

Until a 'ding' caused her to take up the small device once more.

A groan escaped her lips once she read the message.

"What's the matter, Carrots?"

"I fear I got the first of probably hundreds of messages."

She held her phone out for Nick to read.

 _'_ _Hi JuJu. Is it really true that you and your_ foxy partner _are a thing now? O_O  
And are you really preggers? From him?!'_

Before Nick could decide if he was worried or not about the tone of the message, another one from the same mammal popped up.

 _'_ _Congratulations, you two! Oh, who would have thought that our little Jude-the-prude would be into predators?! :-P  
Though, Nick is one hot fox. Lucky you ;-D'_

The huge smirk on her mate's face caused Judy to quickly withdraw her phone, reading the last message herself before another groan left her muzzle.

"If you ever call me 'Jude-the-prude' I'll-"  
'Ding'  
Another message interrupted her.  
Followed by another.  
And another.

More and more messages came in, the time between each notification sound growing shorter and shorter until they blended into each other, melting into one annoying tone.

Without further ado, she turned the device off, deciding to reply later when they all got it out of their system and the flood of messages would hopefully have run dry.  
Not that she was looking forward to answering tons and tons of questions… well, more like the same question over and over again.

Leaning back against the couch's backrest she briefly closed her eyes, a tired sigh coming from her. Nick leaned against her, causing Judy to snuggle into his side.

She felt his tongue gently lick her around her ears and began to tooth purr.  
Old fashioned grooming wasn't a common activity anymore these days, but it always had a soothing effect on her and she still enjoyed the act immensely, even if she had to tidy her fur afterward to make sure it wasn't sticking out in all directions.

After a while Judy leaned away, prompting him to stop and eliciting a short, confused noise from the tod that made her chuckle.

"I think I promised you something earlier."

The doe giggled again when her mate's tail took up its wagging once more, just before he lay down on the couch, his head coming to rest in her lap.

Her paws reached for his head, tiny blunt claws scratching behind his ears, under his chin, and around his neck.

Soft purring set in almost immediately, causing the tender expression on Judy's face to deepen some more.

The longer she continued to pet her fox and ruffle his fur, the louder the purring grew, his tongue even slightly sticking out between his lips.

 _He can be just like a kit at times. A cute, utterly adorable little kit._

More than anything, the thought sparked a warm flame in her chest, knowing that he wouldn't show this side of himself to anyone but her.

Her paws wandered down until she reached his belly, ignoring the ticklish spots which on other occasions she might have assaulted just to bug him a little.

Once she started to give the tod the promised belly rubs - which she enjoyed almost as much as he did, for her paws moved through the almost forbiddenly thick and soft fur and over the firm muscles beneath - his purring deepened, intermingled with some low, happy whines.

To give her better access, Nick rolled over on his back. Judy couldn't help but use that opportunity to press a chaste kiss on his muzzle while it was pointed her way.

A gesture he returned all too willingly, deepening the kiss the longer it lasted.

When she felt his tongue licking at the seams of her lips, asking for entry, she granted it without a second thought, greeting him just as eagerly while a familiar heat slowly rose through her body.

Breaking the kiss to get some air, she saw the want in his eyes, two burning emeralds that were a mirror of her own desire.

It took all of her willpower not to give in but draw away, prompting her slightly panting mate to sit up and ask if anything was wrong.

"Nothing is _wrong_. It's just... well, we don't have any contraceptives here, so maybe we shouldn't..."

When Nick didn't answer, she faced his way, taking in his expression.

Jaw slightly ajar, one ear sticking out sideways, the other laid back against his head, and his eyes stuck somewhere between incomprehension and disbelief.

"What?"

"Carrots, you _are_ already pregnant. What could possibly happen now?"

A lopsided grin had appeared on his muzzle, with a mocking tinge to his voice to tease her some more.

"Hmm, let's see." The doe put one paw to her muzzle, tapping her chin with one claw in a contemplating gesture.

"Since bunnies are able to conceive even while already pregnant, I guess _that_ could happen."

The grin vanished.

"You are kidding me... right?"

"Nope."

She was the one smirking now.

"Admittedly, it's rare these days, not like with our primitive ancestors. But considering that we - an interspecies couple - had no trouble with conception in the first place despite apparently lower chances for it to happen, I wouldn't put it beyond us."

A couple of seconds trickled away in silence before Nick was able to close his gaping muzzle.

"You have a point there, Fluff. But..."

Getting down on all fours like a predator on the prowl, Nick approached her.

"... I could think of other ways to make my mate happy."

His tongue darted out, licking his chops in a suggestive manner that rekindled the doused heat inside of her, rewarding the reynard with the sweet scent of his aroused bunny.

With an 'eep' and a laugh, Judy took off in the direction of their bedroom, her red-furred mate hard on her heels.

* * *

"You look fine, Carrots. Stop fretting about it so much. You don't have to impress my mom anymore, you know?"

The day after they had talked to Judy's parents, they had decided that merely calling Nick's mom to let her know she would become a grandma wasn't an option.  
After all, Vivian Wilde lived just about fifteen minutes away by bus.  
So they opted for inviting her over for a nice dinner on their free weekend.

Judy had her second appointment with Cat the day after so she could tell her about the known diseases she had found out about and the ones that might still come up during the... less comfortable part of this evening's conversations.

"I know, but... it _is_ an extraordinary occasion after all."

The doe kept tugging at her shirt, nervously considering her appearance in the mirror.

Nick stepped up behind her, reached around to take her paws into his and pressed a kiss between her ears.

Leaning against him, she enjoyed his attention for a moment before looking back at her reflection.

"I really look okay?"

"You look beautiful, Sweetheart," Nick replied, pressing another kiss to the same spot.

And he honestly meant it.

Judy was only wearing a pair of simple navy blue jeans and a wine-red, cold shoulder, button-up, tunic top that she had gotten from Vivian for her birthday almost a month ago.

Yes, she looked absolutely stunning.  
And his mom would love the fact that the doe was wearing her present.

The tod himself had traded his khaki-shorts for a pair of long, black jeans and his pawaiian shirt for a dark-purple one, his favorite tie still loosely bound around his neck.

A quick glance at her phone told Judy that the vixen should arrive any minute now.

"So, you want to tell her right away or shall we wait until after dinner?"

She gave Nick an inquiring look, the tod shaking his head immediately.

"Not after dinner, no. Otherwise, it would probably end the same way it did when she found out we were mates."

Vivian had been the only mammal who had picked up on it before they had told her.  
In hindsight, it had been a stupid idea to wait that long to tell her about their relationship in the first place.

Nick should have known that a shower and some Musk Mask simply wasn't enough to hide a scent mark that strong.  
And her motherly intuition probably played a role as well.

Remembering the saddened expression on his mom's face when she realized they had been hiding it from her for a quite a while made him cringe inwardly.

No, this time they would be upfront about it, letting her know as soon as the door had closed behind her.

Her nerves still aflutter, Judy walked back into the kitchen, checking the meal they had prepared one more time while Nick grabbed a bottle of blueberry wine from the small wine rack hidden behind one of the doors of their kitchen unit.

Only the two vulpines would be able to drink some, but a celebration was in order in his opinion.

"And I'm really looking okay?"

Just when the reynard opened his muzzle to answer that question for the umpteenth time, the doorbell rang, causing Judy to leap up into the air.

Chuckling, Nick stole a kiss while passing her by to get the door, whispering to her it would be fine.

As soon as Nick caught sight of the vixen, he felt himself being drawn into a tight embrace.

"Oh, Nicky, it was so nice of you two to invite me for dinner. It has been too long since I last saw you both."

She let go of him, holding the tod at arm's length while giving him a once over before she caught sight of Judy.

"Oh my. You look gorgeous, Dear. Whoever gave you that top has excellent taste."

Coming to her mate's side, Judy embraced the vixen.  
"She does indeed. Thank you so much, Vivian."

Letting go of her, Judy took up her place next to Nick again.  
"So, what is the reason for inviting me?"

Both mammals felt nervous beyond words but decided to stick to their plan.

"We want to tell you something. And celebrate."  
Vivian saw a broad smile appearing on the doe's face, infectious enough to spread to her son and even the corners of her own mouth rose a little.

 _Wait. Celebrate? Could it be...? Has Nicky proposed to her? They can't get married yet, but the amendment is almost through..._

But she cast the thought aside when she found no ring on the bunny's paw.

Anticipation rising, her gaze flickered back and forth between her son and his mate.

Another thought occurred to her. One she would usually dismiss right away.  
It left her short of breath and made her clutch the front of her dark green dress unwittingly.

Telling herself it can't be, she felt her hopes rising when the young couple shared a loving gaze, Nick drawing Judy a little closer.

When they faced her again - eyes sparkling with joy - her heart leaped up to her throat.

And then they told her.  
Told her that the bunny was pregnant.  
That Judy, the wonderful little critter that her son had fallen for; who had brought him back to her from the place he had retreated to, to hide his heart from the world; that this very bunny was carrying her son's kits.

She would be a grandmother.

Her brain was still catching up, only then realizing that she was shedding happy tears into Nick and Judy's fur as she held them as close to her heart as possible.  
And the pair returned the gesture with just as much love.

"What do you say about eating dinner now," Nick asked as soon as the emotions had settled down a little.  
Enough at least for the three mammals to speak without any sobs and only minimal sniffling.

"Sounds good," his mom agreed, wiping a stray tear from her cheek.

A smirk on her face, she quickly ruffled the fur between her son's ears.  
"Well done, by the way, Nicky."

"Seriously, mom?" the tod shook his head with a laugh, heat crawling into his cheeks and up his ears.

"You two are definitely mother and son," Judy chuckled while watching the two vulpines, smoothing back her ears in an attempt to hide her own raging blush.

As soon as they settled down at the table, though, Vivian spotted the two younger mammals exchanging glances which send a sense of dread creeping down her spine.

"Is... is there something else I should know about?" the vixen's nervousness didn't go unnoticed by them, prompting Judy and Nick to shake their heads simultaneously.

"No, it's actually the other way around." Judy looked at her mate.

"Cat - Judy's gynecologist - wanted us to find out if any genetic diseases are running in our families," Nick explained.

"Besides diabetes running on your father's side of the family, I can't think of any."

Seeing them relax caused the tension Vivian had felt to leave her as well.

"Sheesh, give an old lady a heart attack, will you." She even chuckled while scolding them.

"Sorry, mom."

"You are anything but old, Vivian."

Both of them piped up at the same time.

"Aww, that's sweet of you to say, Judy."

"And I mean it. The first time we met I thought you were Nick's sister."

Vivian knew the doe well enough to see that she was sincere in her words, causing the vulpine to slightly blush and sending her tail into a lazy wag.

"So, this Cat, is she working at Savannah Central, or...?"

Savannah Central Hospital was one of the biggest Hospitals in all of Zootopia and usually the first drop-in center for any kind of disease, injury or health-related concern.

"Oh, no, she is a... uhm," Nick looked at his mate, seeking help.

"A specialist for cross-species conception. She works in a smaller clinic in the rainforest district. A sweet red panda about your age."

Of course, Vivian's curiosity wasn't satisfied with just that.

"So, how many kits will you have? Do you already know the genders? Have you already chosen names? And how far along are you? Do you have an estimated due-date yet?"

"You are really eager to become a grandmother, aren't you?" Nick asked with a laugh.

"Of course," a wide grin appeared on the older vulpine's face.  
After a moment, she joined in with her son's laughter, realizing she had quite bombarded the younger mammals with her questions.

"I'm sorry. But I'm just so happy. When you had told me that you two were mates... or rather when I found out about it," she gave them a mocking, scornful look to which they reacted with an appropriate amount of guilt, "I was positively stunned. And I was delighted that it was such a wonderful mammal as you, Judy, who my son had fallen in love with and who had answered to his feelings in kind."

The doe remembered how warmly she had been treated by Vivian back then, not expecting such an unclouded, positive reaction to their news.

"And I was proud. I was so incredibly proud that both of you had decided to follow your hearts, knowing quite well that society might not take all too kindly to your relationship."

A small paw was placed on top of hers, the young doe regarding her with a kind smile while her son put a paw on his mom's arm, giving it an affectionate squeeze.

Both gestures reminded her that she was part of a small, lovely family after living alone for so many years.

She gave both paws a gentle squeeze in return before continuing.

"But I would have never thought that I would see the day you would tell me you are expecting, Judy. If at all, I would have thought you would adopt sometime in the future. I would have loved those kits just as much as if they were my own blood, I'm convinced of this. But to see that I was wrong. That you'll have a litter of your o-own..."

She wasn't able to continue at this point, fresh tears welling up since the joy she felt was just too much.

The next second, both her son and his mate were at her side once more, embracing her with a soft chuckle and a nuzzle here and there.

When she had calmed down, Vivian apologized for her overly emotional state this evening.

"Don't be sorry, mom. We both had our fair share of emotions and tears over the last couple of days... especially Carrots."

Judy was nodding along to her mate's words eagerly, wiping some moisture from her eyes until her fist reflexively shot out, connecting with the tod's shoulder upon his last statement.

"Ouch, I see that the mood swings are already setting in, huh Fluff?" Nick groaned, rubbing the spot where the punch had connected, his comment earning him another bruise and causing both females to laugh out in glee.

His smirk changed into a genuine smile.

"Though I have to admit that I have never before felt this blessed in my life," he continued in an earnest voice.

"Everything good is connected to you, Judy. Turning away from my life as a street hustler. Trying once more to believe I could make a change; that I should trust in myself and others. Becoming a police officer. Reconnecting with my mom. Falling madly in love. Being loved madly. Starting a family."

It happened to fast for him to comprehend when a grey ball of fluff suddenly launched at him.

Judy's lips pressed against his eagerly.  
Her arms slung around his neck, her paws grabbed the fur at the back of his head.  
Not that there was any need to keep her fox from pulling away.

Vivian granted them a little under four minutes until she cleared her throat, causing a crimson red bunny and a profoundly redder-than-normal red fox to turn their attention back to her, stammering and apologizing - at least as well as they were able to in their state of stuttering incoherency - while catching their breath in between words.

"It's fine, it's fine, don't worry. More importantly: _Breath_ ," she told them, by then unable to keep her laughter from bubbling over.

"We... might have gotten carried away a little there," Nick admitted, coughing into his balled fist.

Though Vivian shrugged it off nonchalantly.  
"Your father and I, we were just like that when we were younger. Worse, at times."

"Alright, thanks mom, that's already too much information," the tod waved the image away, looking as if he was on the brink of simply covering his ears.

From there on outward the evening was filled with jokes, anecdotes, and lots of laughter.

And Nick's cub photos which Vivian had been carrying around in her purse... pure coincidence, of course.

Though both females had to give him credit for taking that surprise like a sport and neither showing signs of embarrassment nor being miffed by the good-natured jibes aimed at him.

A couple of hours later, after a delicious meal and a glass of blueberry wine, as well as time well spent with laughter and mammals she loved, Vivian was about to take her leave.

"You know, it's astonishing how it seems like you always have good news for me whenever we have dinner together. Though, would it be asked too much if we would do this more often and not just when something _life-changing_ is happening?"

Amusement sparkled in Judy's eyes.  
"That's a great idea. How about we have dinner about... hmm, let's say _at least_ every other week? Or we could have lunch. Or brunch. Whatever, the main point is we meet."

"With our work and considering that even our weekends are normally not spared, we might have to improvise here and there," Nick added, a claw thoughtfully scratching his muzzle.

"That's fine by me as long as I can see my two favorite kits."

That notion always made a smile light up the young doe's face.

After meeting her for the first time, Vivian had taken an immediate liking to the peppy, sweet bunny and had told her that she considered her family, even before her son had started dating the lagomorph.

"Weeell, if you would be willing to cubsit our little ones every now and then once they are born, you would probably see us more often."

The smirk vanished from Nick's face as soon as a small elbow found its way between his ribs.

One of the vixen's eyebrows went up in amused bewilderment, and with a shake of her head, she deadpanned "Of course you need to bribe me to look after my grandkits."

A snort followed her statement.  
"If anything, I would be furious if you wouldn't ask me to look after them once in a while."

"I can actually see that happening."  
Fake shock was written across the tod's face, his ears pressed against his skull.

"You would do well to remember it, Nicky," his mom quipped back.  
"But seriously, I would love to cubsit them. Believe me, you will be in dire need of some time to yourself after they are born," she added with a knowing grin.

"I have seen my fair share of chaos while growing up with hundreds of siblings, so I know what you mean, alright."

Vivian's grin widened some more when she regarded the confident bunny.

"We will see about that when you have a litter of your own."

They had made their way to the door and shared one final embrace before telling their goodbyes.

Promising they would keep Vivian up to date and to not let too much time pass before seeing her again, they watched the vixen step out into the hallway with a wave of her paw and head for the stairway.

"I think it's about time we get some shut-eye. What do you think, Slick?"  
An immense yawn was almost cutting the last part of Judy's sentence off, presenting her buckteeth to the chuckling tod.

Pressing a kiss to her cheek, he agreed. "I think that my cute mate is right. As wonderful an evening as it was, we still have work tomorrow. Even if it's only deskwork."

With a little leap, she was able to press a quick peck to the tod's lips, before turning around and heading for their bedroom.

"You are lucky I _am_ your mate. Otherwise, I would sock you one for calling me cute... instead of appreciating it."

 _At least as long as you mean it._

Tail wagging, Nick still stood in the same spot, a goofy grin on his muzzle while he watched the doe walk away.

"Lucky, indeed," he mumbled to himself, voice tinged with affection.  
Drawing one paw over his head, and smoothing his ears back he followed after her.

How he had been so lucky to meet this bunny and have her still at his side, he would probably never understand.

"But the next time," he heard her groaning from the next room, "Don't. Mention. Deskwork."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

And here it is: Chapter three.

Yes, this one is only about half the size of the former two chapters, but I decided to take the ideas I had for it and make two out of them so that you, my dear readers, don't have to wait too long for the next update.  
Hopefully, after my two weeks of vacation, I'll be more productive again ^^

A little announcement at this point. Since I have been awfully slow the last couple of weeks I have decided to tackle the short story I have planned for Halloween next to minimize the chances of not being able to finish it in time. With some luck, I'll be able to finish this _and_ dish out another update for 'Blindsided' before the end of October... maybe XD

Also, like almost always, my heartfelt thanks goes out to Quakky for being my reliable proofreader. Thanks, buddy ;-)

Now, enough of my rambling.  
Enjoy your reading.

* * *

"Is that the fifteenth or sixteenth?" Nick asked while looking over Judy's shoulder.

"Eighteenth," she answered, swiping away at her phone to skim through her most recent text messages. "There are two Gwennifers from the one time my parents lost track of names. And you keep treating Cate and Kate as if they were the same person."

"Hard to remember them all considering the amount of multiplying that happens in that burr-oof!" An elbow to his stomach interrupted the tod's jibe and conjured a smile on his offender's face.

"Well," he leaned away by a tail's breadth - his, not hers - to get some distance in case of another attack, "it just means that even more of your siblings have outstanding taste."

He took another glimpse at the screen where Judy had called up the latest message once more.

 _Hey there, Jude._  
 _I wanted to congratulate you on your pregnancy :-D_

 _I know I already did that. I'm just so happy for you ^^_  
 _And I think that you and Nick make for a great couple. 3_

 _Yeah, I know I said that before, too ^^"_

 _It's just... I heard from some of our sisters how you described your relationship with him. And... you see... I think it sounds really wonderful. And he looks really nice…_

 _Augh, no that's not it. He's... I mean... I think he looks really... sexy /_

 _So Iwantd to aski fhe maybbe hasa brothwr somthin_

 _Sorry, paw is kinda trembling here. It's the first time I let anyone know that I'm... you know? :-x_

"Though that's the first of your brothers who asked."

Judy shook her head in amusement. "I'm still surprised that with so many of our siblings openly dating someone of the same sex he was still so nervous about outing himself. Not that most of us didn't already know anyway."

"That merely shows how irresistible your fox is." Nick leaned against the edge of the desk, striking a pose while loosening his tie and popping open the topmost button of his uniform.

"Nick!" Disapproval crossed the doe's face. Though a wiggle of his eyebrows caused some cracks to form in her mask and the next moment, laughter rendered her unable to keep up the straight act.

A last giggle escaped her "I can't believe you did that here. What if someone saw you?"  
She shook her head, mild amusement still lingering in her gaze.

Closing the button but keeping his tie loosened, Nick shot her a grin, shrugging nonchalantly.  
"They know me well enough by now to not even bat an eye at something like this. What _I_ can't believe is, that you, my dear Carrots," he pointed a claw at her, "are playing around with your phone at work. What has become of my pedant of a partner?"

Judy slumped down on the desk, holding the slim device at arm's length with both paws while her ears laid back in resignation. "She has taken a leave of absence after two weeks of deskwork."

"All deskwork and no play makes Judy a dull girl?"

"Har, har."  
A sigh escaped her lips, her phone now resting forgotten next to her keyboard.

"But seriously, we had barely anything to do. Deskwork or not."

"Would you prefer a crime wave over the peace we have right now?" Nick raised an eyebrow at her.

"Of course not! But when the city is quiet like this, it feels like there is a threat brewing somewhere beneath the surface. It makes me antsy."

"You have read far too many thrillers, Cottontail. Or it's the hormones. Probably both."

Turning around in her chair to level her best glare at him, Judy saw her mate's eyes wandering down, automatically drawn to her stomach were by then a small cub bump started to show. A tender smile spread over the canine's face, and she felt it suddenly impossible to even try acting miffed.

"Alright, maybe you are right. About the _thrillers_ ," she added when Nick opened his muzzle, mischief sparking from his eyes.

"But still, two weeks without much more than dealing with reports about citizens complaining that their neighbors disturb the peace... at 5 pm. Or that someone was 'parking like they were the last mammal on earth'. You remember what Snarlov told us? The car was clearly inside of the parking lot's boundaries. And those are just the tip of the iceberg."

The exasperation Judy was showing reminded Nick of how he had dragged his partner into the DMV and exposed her to Flash for the first time.  
She had looked just short of outright strangling him back then.  
It had been highly entertaining to him.

"That's just the way mammals are. If they have nothing to complain about, they complain about that they have nothing to complain about."

"Two. Weeks." Judy emphasized both words, the last 's' almost coming out as a hiss.

'Ding'

A groan fled her muzzle.

"Two weeks and I still get those messages. I love my siblings to pieces, but sometimes..."

Leaving the sentence unfinished, she picked up her phone once more and silenced it with a few quick swipes and taps.

"At least we put the time to good use." The tod pointed at a couple of pages lying on his side of their shared workspace.

Over the last week they had skimmed through the apartment market and had picked out three of which they were convinced would be perfect for raising a little family.  
One of them they would be visiting once their shift was over.

In a mere couple of minutes to be more precise, since the clock on his pc informed Nick that the day had advanced quite a bit since he had last taken a peek.

Deciding that it wasn't worth waiting any longer, he and Judy cleaned up their desk, shut their computers down and clocked out a little earlier than usual.

With some time to spare before they had to meet with the owner of the apartment complex, they took a short detour to pass by one of their favorite food joints.

Equipped with two bug burgers, three portions of fries, an extra large serving of fried crickets and a small salad with extra dressing, Judy stepped back out unto the street first, followed by a smirking red fox who was munching on a lone chicken sandwich.

"You sure that'll be enough, Fluff?" he asked around a bite when his mate dug into her first burger with gusto.

Her face showed an expression of pure bliss at the greasy goodness that filled her mouth.  
She barely gave him an affirmative hum in response before she devoured the rest of it, fishing out another burger from the paper bag before she had even swallowed the last bite of her first one.

By the time Nick had finished his sparse meal, the only things Judy had left were her salad and the smaller part of the fried crickets.

With their goal just a mere street and about ten minutes away, they decided to visit a nearby park, giving the doe the chance to finish the remainder of her food and take a little rest before they would meet with the owner.  
They weren't expected for the next half hour anyway.

Settling down on a small bench at the side of one of the few paths meandering through the green, Nick let his gaze wander while his mate was occupied with her food.

He had realized it before at the food joint, and again, there were some curious looks directed at them from passersby.

He was used to being stared at.  
As a fox, many a mammal was wary of him and what he might have planned to scam them.

When he and Judy had started dating, the looks they had gotten had changed from suspicious to disgusted, and while Nick wasn't all too bothered by it and very well able to ignore the sneers directed at him, he had been concerned about the doe.

To his surprise, Judy had taken it all in stride, accepting the nasty stares and glares for a chance to be with her fox.  
A fact that had him fall in love with her even more, if that was possible.

Over the time, the public opinion had changed.  
Mammals had started to accept couples like them. Though pred-prey relationships were still treated with caution, the general rise in approval of mixed-species couples had reduced the overall aversion, allowing them to enjoy their dates more and more.  
Occasionally some smiles, thumbs-ups, and other signs of support were offered, raising their mood profoundly.

Now though, the tod wasn't sure if it was curiosity, confusion, animosity or wonderment that drove the glances they got.  
After all, there was a just visibly pregnant bunny doe sitting next to a fox who she was apparently quite close to, wolfing down food that was usually not part of a lagomorph's diet.

A silent burp drew his attention back to his mate.

Judy was licking the remaining grease from her paws, satisfaction written across her face.

Chuckling, he leaned down, his tongue darting out to sweep some stray crumbs from her cheeks. His pondering from just moments ago was already forgotten.

Before he could draw back again, she placed a quick peck on his muzzle, smiling up at him with her clear, amethyst eyes.

"Don't let them see that they get to you," she whispered, her features softening at his surprise.

"I didn't think I was that obvious." The tip of his tail twitched once.

"Just because I was _inhaling_ my food doesn't mean I'm not aware of my surroundings _or_ my mate."

Another kiss landed on his lips. "Also, it seems like we are not that hot of a topic here."

Drawing Judy closer to his side by putting an arm around her, he let his gaze wander and out of the corner of his eyes, he saw that she was right. Most mammals had turned back to their conversations or continued on their way to only they knew where.

 _Seems the world doesn't revolve around us, after all._

For just a couple more minutes they stayed, listening to the rustles of the leafs above them and the laughing and happily screaming kits.  
Nearby, music was playing, and Nick quickly spotted a group consisting of a ewe, a billy-goat, a male and female warthog as well as a female african wild dog.

Just a little over two years ago, a scene like that would have been unthinkable.  
Mammals had still been shaken up by the happenings in Zootopia concerning predators going savage. Even after the arrest of Bellwether, the city wasn't just going back to the way it used to be.  
Prey mammals had kept their distance and predators tried to draw as little attention to themselves as possible.

Social tensions had only lessened little by little over time.  
Though a certain press conference might have helped speeding up the process of mending the damage the crazy ewe had caused.  
It had taken place while Nick had been away at the academy. Judy had found herself in front of a sea of cameras once more. That time though only after she had been thoroughly instructed and practiced before being confronted with a herd of journalists for a second time.

No amount of preparation could have helped her prevent some tears from falling along her heartfelt apology at the end of her part of the conference. Those tears and words had dulled the blades of many predators who had been holding a grudge against her.

Of course, there were the ones who couldn't just let it go as well as those journalists who would do everything for some lurid headlines, blaming the doe for the wave of chaos, violence, and distrust that had followed in the wake of the revelation that predators had been going savage.

Chief Bogo had expected attempts at discrediting his smallest yet publicly most visible officer and had stepped up to the speaker's desk, taking Judy's place.

He had made a statement that ushering Officer Hopps into the spotlight many months ago had been former mayor Bellwether's doing after reading the initial report about the happenings which had taken place at Cliffside Asylum.

The ewe had been aware of the fact that the ZPD's newest member hadn't undergone any kind of training or received instructions on how to handle public appearances like those, utilizing her inexperience in that regard as well as calculating Officer Hopps would give away information that would have been classified until confirmed under usual circumstances.

Most probably her goal had not only been to raise animosity against predators but she had also been seeing a chance to obstruct discovery of traces of her own doings.

Before any further questions could be brought forward from the crowd, he had also acknowledged his own omission in allowing Hopps to step in front of those cameras when he should have known better.  
He had been playing a role in the chaos that came over the city back then just as much as she did.

Nick remembered the look on his mate's face at that point, the doe barely visible on the screen when he watched the news. It had been a mix of surprise, shock, and gratitude making it evident how much effort it took her to not just go back onto stage and hug the bovine right there.

Many mammals would have pounced at the chance to shove the responsibilities onto someone else.  
Maybe it had been Bogo's way of apologizing to Judy for mistreating her after she had first joined his precinct.

Or he simply was that kind of mammal.

Maybe the truth lay somewhere in between.

Whatever it was, Bogo's statement had demanded his respect. And that had made it slightly more difficult for the tod to bug his boss and play pranks on him once he graduated from the ZPA and joined precinct one.  
But he had followed through with it in the end. His history of parking duty was evidence enough, as well as the bruises he had earned from his partner since she usually was punished alongside him.

Said partner was raising to her feet, gently pulling him up by his paw and slinging his arm around her a moment later so that she was able to press into his side.

With a smile on their lips, they approached the exit of the park though admittedly Nick was barely paying attention to where they were heading since his eyes couldn't help flicking back to his mate.

Dapples of sunlight created by the canopy above them traveled across her grey fur, making it shine like silver wherever it touched it.

Captivated he thought for what must have been the millionth timed since he met her how beautiful Judy was.

More so than ever since she was pregnant.  
He always thought it was just a saying, a rumor, that a pregnant female looked more attractive than before, but the glow in her eyes, that happiness, that... _certain something_ that was radiating from her.  
Maybe it was just him, but he had never seen something like it before.  
Or perhaps he had just never taken the time to actually look at the mammals around him as long as it wasn't benefitting one of his hustles.

As if she felt his eyes on her, Judy turned her head, taking in the warm gaze of her fox and with a coy little smile, she dragged him towards her just enough so he wouldn't crash into the wastebin that _definitely hadn't been there before._

Ears laid back in embarrassment, he gave the doe a shrug which she reacted to with a chuckle before placing a quick peck on his cheek.

"I know it's difficult, but maybe you should try to focus on where you are going instead of your stunningly beautiful mate."

"You are asking the impossible, Sweetheart," the tod shot back without missing a beat, causing her to shake her head in amusement.

"Such a corny fox."

"And who's fault do you think that is?"

"I think I can live with that," she chuckled, nuzzling the underside of Nick's muzzle.

"Lyca, wait!"

The half whispered half yelled outcry caused two pairs of ears to swivel in that direction.

"Excuse me."

Their heads followed suit when a female voice addressed them.

Next to them stood the same female painted dog Nick had spotted earlier, and he guessed she must be in her early twenties.

Her facial expressions seemed to have settled somewhere in between embarrassment and excitement.

"Are you two... uhm... mates?"

Over her shoulder he saw the male warthog from the group standing a little distance away and facepalming at the canine's question, his face visible turning red.

Nick had a rough idea of what this was about.

While Judy confirmed the other female's question who was now stammering nervously around her next one, the tod nudged his mate with a grin.

When she looked up at him, he pointed with his muzzle in the direction of the porcine who was inspecting and scraping at his tusks like it was the most important thing in the world.

A smile appeared on the doe's face when she focused back on the rambling canine in front of her.

"S-so, you see. I wanted to ask... I mean, I wondered... you and your mate... uhm, no I mean, you seem to be... that's uh, I don't want to be rude if I'm wrong... but..."

"I'm pregnant..." Judy could barely contain her laughter upon the surprised expression on the painted dog's face, her muzzle still hanging half open from trying to figure out the right words."... and my mate is the father."

Amethyst eyes turned towards the reynard at her side, her warm gaze and happy smile mirrored by his own.

"I guess that's what you and your mate wanted to know?"

The excited expression the other female wore - Judy thought her name was Lyca if she hadn't misheard - was already answer enough.

With a nod, she peered back over her shoulder in the direction of the still uncomfortable looking warthog who almost jumped when he realized that three pairs of eyes were directed at him.

With a wave of her paw, the young canine gestured him to come over.

Reluctantly, he moved closer, stepping up next to her.

"I'm sorry if Lyca bothered you. I have told her she is wrong and even if not, you probably wouldn't want to be talked up by some random stranger."

"It's alright buddy," Nick shrugged the young male's apology off.

"And I wasn't wrong!" Lyca exclaimed, catching her mate's attention who looked like he wasn't sure he heard correctly.

"What do you mean? You mean..."

"It's their litter. They are the parents, Boaris. Not just her."

Nick was almost convinced he heard the other male's cognitive gears come to a sudden grating halt.

Eyes wide and muzzle hanging open, his gaze slowly traveled from his mate to Nick and Judy and back.

"You... you are serious, right?"

The reynard and his slightly round bunny nodded their confirmation.

A touch of cautious hope was fighting with the doubts on the porcine's face.

"But it's probably a one in a million chance or something like this, isn't it? Or there are other severe problems?"

Recognizing a trace of herself - of her own fears - in the younger male, Judy shook her head with a knowing smile.

"I thought so, too, when it happened. I never expected it and was scared out of my mind. I jumped to conclusions and almost... did something really stupid, if not for my mate."

She felt Nick giving her a brief lick over one ear and couldn't help the small chirrup that escaped her at that.

"But when we looked more into it, we found a doctor, a specialist for interspecies conception, who alleviated those worries I had. I can give you her number if you want to. She is a very sweet red panda and can probably answer your questions much better than we could."

Gratefully, Lyca accepted the doe's offer, both she and her mate looking considerably less troubled.

Silently, Nick hoped they wouldn't be crushed once they talked to Cat.  
After all, the ailurid _had_ told them that the chances for conceptions between different species can be rather slim.

While giving out Cat's number, Judy had also taken a glimpse at the time.

"We really have to go now," she showed the display to her mate.

"Oh, you are right. We are almost late now."

A gasp drew their attention back to the couple in front of them, spotting an apologetic looking Lyca.

"I didn't keep you from something important, did I? Oh, I'm so sorry."

Judy simply shook her head in reply.

"It's quite alright. We are just apartment hunting now." She emphasized her words by rubbing her belly, her mate gazing softly down at her.

With a reassured smile, Lyca and Boaris wished them good luck before all of them said their goodbyes.

While turning away back in the direction of the park's entrance, Judy caught the young porcine taking his mates paw.  
She looked quite surprised while he was obviously embarrassed, but both also seemed very happy about it.

Not every _unorthodox_ couple had the guts to be openly affectionate in public, but it appeared that they got some courage and determination out of their short encounter with her and Nick.

A chuckle drew her attention back to the fox at her side.

"What's so funny?"

His usual smirk firmly in place he answered with glee in his voice. "Oh, I just imagined what might be lying in wait for poor Boaris. Probably not something as unexpected as the possibility of his mate getting even… uhm, pregnanter, but-"

He was interrupted by an amused snort. "What the heck? _Pregnanter?_ Seriously Nick?" Judy's question was riddled with laughter, the doe almost shaking with the attempt to suppress it.

Ultimately, she was giving in at the end, guffawing at the silly, bastardized word. Enough so that Nick himself couldn't help giggling from the infectiousness of his mate's behavior, the grey bundle of fur at his side being convulsed with laughter.

His giggles died down before his mate's, and a content smile settled on the tod's face.

He let his gaze wander about, taking in the details of the city he had known for all his life.

A couple of years ago, all he ever saw was a somber cityscape.  
The brilliant colors, shining lights, and bright reflections bouncing off the glass-clad skyscrapers of downtown and ice-covered expanses of Tundratown only seemed like a desperate attempt to hide the ugly underbelly of Zootopia.  
The very same he had always lived in.

Smiling mammals were always only acting, trying to sweet-talk others for their own self-gain or to fit in with a society they couldn't change.

The days were too crowded with others.

The nights were too lonely.

The rain was too cold.

The sun was too warm.

And yet...

His smile widened a little.

The sky was blue, bright and beautiful.

His fur was comfortably warmed by the golden eye above them.

Everything seemed better - _truer_ \- than it used to be.

But that wasn't news to him.  
It was a feeling that had started to set in the moment he had met Judy and which had only grown in intensity over the years.

Today, though, he felt like bursting at the seams from joy, just because... well, just because.

Life was good.

His contemplating was interrupted when they rounded the next corner, reaching the street that would lead them to their destination.

Stopping in front of the almost-too-bright yellow five-story apartment building he started to feel just the tiniest tinge of nervousness.  
It finally settled that they were about to visit the first apartment that might or might not become the one they would start their little family in.

Facing in his bunny's direction to crack a little joke he found his feelings written across her face.  
Judy held her head just a little lower than usual, with her ears a tad too limp.

With a squeeze of his paw her small, tense smile eased into a relaxed and slightly excited one.

"Are you ready to step inside and find out if the colors there are just as loud as the facade, Fluff?"

"Oh come on, it's not _that_ bad."

"Are we looking at the same building? You are always complaining about my pawaiian shirts but this here is fine?" his false incredulity almost drew a laugh from her, but Judy stayed in character, if just barely.

"Yeah, they are pretty ugly. But this here? This is juuust fine." She regarded the walls like it was a piece of art.

"How dare you prefer something that looks like a coughed up canary over my fine wardrobe?"

She couldn't hold it any longer. With a snicker, she nodded along to the reynard's words.  
"Yeah, it's pretty bad, isn't it?"

"Let's hope that the apartment itself can convince you then," a voice behind them piped up.

Judy had registered the car parking next to them but hadn't paid it any attention.

Now she realized that the mammal stepping out of the vehicle was most likely the owner they were meant to meet with.

Turning around with a blush crawling up her erect ears, Judy tried to launch into an apology.

"Like with the mammals, it's the inner values that count. Something along those lines?" the tod interrupted her thoughts.

The antelope in her blue blazer standing behind them gave him a short nod along with a polite little smile, leaving both mammals unsure if she was just showing a professional facade.

With quick steps she passed them by, approaching the front door and gestured them with a wave of her hoof to follow her inside the building.

"Let's find out if the apartment itself is more to your taste."

About ten minutes later the bunny and fox pair left the building again, a somewhat sourly looking antelope stepping unto the sidewalk just a second after.

Without another word she entered her car and drove off, leaving Judy and Nick behind who both wore identical smug smiles.

Turning around they headed down the street they came from earlier.

"What was it that made you wary of the most?"

Judy looked up at her mate while grabbing his paw, pondering his question for a moment.

"You mean besides the fact the apartment was still a work in progress? Not that I dislike the charm of tools littering the floor and walls being still incomplete. But besides that, I have to admit that her being unable to tell us exactly when it should be finished and being rather vague about it instead wasn't very promising either."

Nick nodded along before adding his own thoughts.

"Also, they obviously cleaned the whole apartment before we got there."

"So what? If they _were_ working there, it's not the worst idea to clean up before some potential tenants show up, right?"

The fox made some 'tsk tsk tsk' noises, lifting one claw in dispraise.

"The chance they cleaned up because the tools have been laying there for far too long - gathering dust since Maid Marian knows when - is far higher. Dirt from work would at least show that something still gets done instead of the whole project having come to a halt long ago."

"True enough, I guess. Great move with those coins by the way. I almost thought you really had a clumsy moment there."

While walking around the apartment, stepping over holes in the floor and gaping at one or another in the walls they had neared the balcony.  
Before they had been able to step outside though, the antelope had stopped them, stating that it wasn't in a condition to be used right then.

Considering that they could see the handrail was missing, they accepted that without question.

Nick nevertheless got closer, acting like he wanted to take a look outside through the glass door.  
His face had shown a surprised expression, and with a quick movement, he had pulled his paws from his pants pockets, attempting to point outside. But this motion had also freed a bunch of coins from the confines of his pockets which with a cheerful high tingling fell to the floor.

While a couple of them were just laying there, about half a dozen had been rolling over the floor, all of them in the same direction until they had been stopped by a wall.  
The knowing expression on his and his mate's face had caused the antelope to break into a cold sweat while she tried to gloss over the fact that the floor was obviously slanted.

After a few more minutes Judy and Nick had decided that staying would just be a waste of time, even if seeing the blue-dressed female losing her cool was kind of fun.

They had unceremoniously told her that the apartment wasn't to their liking, wished her a good day and left.

"Think we should look more into her in regard to fraud? That whole apartment practically screamed _'scam'_."

The reynard shook his head immediately. "Back in my days as a hustler, I knew someone who sold a lot of _questionable_ properties. But our laws are riddled with holes in that regard, giving the owner a lot of room to maneuver and leaving the buyer with all the troubles and expenses. We can try and see if she had missed something, but I highly doubt it. She didn't look like a mammal who smelled trouble when we 'caught' her, but rather like one who saw a chance slip through her hooves."

Thinking about his words for a moment, Judy decided that it was still worth a try.

"Good thing we still have two more apartments to visit. I bet one of them will become our new home." Nick's words drew her back from her pondering.

"You are probably right... and you are doing it again, mister Optimistic."  
With a smile, she gave her mate a hip-bump, chuckling at him rolling his eyes.

Before they rounded the next corner, Judy leaned against Nick.  
"You know what I need right now?"

"A massage and some cuddling in front of the tv, watching a stupid rom-com?" he suggested, looking forward to snuggling up against his bunny.

"That, too. But first I could use another half dozen of those burgers." She licked her lips, salivating just from thinking about it.

"You are kidding... right?" he asked with bewildered laughter in his voice.

The questioning look that earned him was answer enough, and after closing his hanging open muzzle, he chuckled. "Alright, let's get some food into you before you starve to death."

Judy nodded in agreement vigorously before she got up on tiptoes, pressing a kiss to the corner of the fox's lips.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Before I forget it, I want to thank Stubat for his wonderfully bastardized word 'pregnanter'. I love it XD


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:**

 **It feels like it takes me longer and longer to get a chapter done for this story, but here it is at last: Chapter Four.  
With this, we are getting close to the end. Only one more chapter to go (which will turn out quite a bit longer, I think).  
It might take a while, though, since I (still) have to deal with health issues and their treatment, but I'll keep on working on this chapter until it's finally finished.  
Stay tuned.  
And enjoy ;-)**

 **As always, my thanks goes to my proofreader Quakky who yet again gave some good advice to smooth out some of the rougher parts in my writing.**

 **I also want to apologize for the confusion and the delay caused by me uploading and immediately deleting this chapter.  
I had realized how poorly of a job I've done in editing it and felt it would be wrong to just leave it like that. You deserve better.  
But now it is finished and here to stay!  
**

* * *

"As if I would allow freaks like you to live here! Fucking inters! How can a pregnant bunny fall so low as to let herself get screwed by a flearidden pelt? Get lost before I lose my temper!"  
The door was thrown shut with force, rattling the wood in its frame.

Nick had only half a thought to spare on the fact that the horse was almost as good at this as Bogo.  
The rest of his mind was focused on keeping a grip on his bunny's shoulders to prevent her from going berserk.

He felt his mate shaking with fury under his paws and silently complemented the equine for not realizing how close he had come to meeting his early demise.  
"It's okay, Fluff. Relax. Breathe." His paws gently massaged her shoulders. "Remember, never let them see that they get to you."

Judy's tensed up muscles gradually loosened up at her fox's treatment.  
"I know. I _know_ I shouldn't let an idiot like him get under my fur. But it still makes me furious."  
She growled slightly while they walked down the street paw in paw.

"I mean, what right does he have to judge our relationship? And what carrot-picking right does he have to insult _you_ , for fox's sake?"  
An amused snort caused her angrily laid back ears to twitch and drew her curious gaze towards her mate.  
"Did you just use my species to almost-curse?" His questioningly raised eyebrow was met with a smirk.

As often as Nick's carefree attitude was driving her up a wall, as often did it help to lift her spirits.  
And after the speciesism and prejudices thrown at them, it was a welcome diversion.  
"Absolutely." A wide grin spread across her face, sending the tod's tail into a light wag.

While he enjoyed aggravating his bunny occasionally, he hated to see her hurt or seriously furious, especially when some narrow-minded, spiteful mammal - stranger or not - was the reason.  
But right now, she happily grasped his paw to put his arm around her as they sauntered down the street.  
Silently, Nick patted himself on the back for defusing his mate before she had gone ballistic.

Luckily, they had another apartment they would visit today, giving them one more chance.  
Less fortunate was the fact that this one would be the last on their docket. Other apartments in their affordable price range were either situated too far away from work, not designed for mammals their size, or just too small to start a family.

Pondering what options they would have left should it turn out that this last apartment was a dud as well, Nick almost missed the absence of Judy.  
Turning around, he found her standing a couple of feet away, staring across the street.

He didn't need to follow her gaze to know what she looked at.  
Being no stranger to this part of the city, his inner map told him that a café should be sitting there, right between a florist shop and a post office.

"I take it you would like to stop here to eat something?" he stepped up to her, determining that they would still have some time left.  
"No." Judy's answer drew his eyes from the establishment back to the slightly fidgety bunny next to him.  
"Well, yes. That would be great, too," she corrected herself as she crossed the street followed by her mate, "but at least one of the little ones is playing soccer with my bladder since about ten minutes."  
An embarrassed but warm smile accompanied her words.

Following his mate with an amused huff, he gestured for her to go ahead.  
Before she entered the building, he called after her to inquire what he should order for her.  
"Could you get me a rooibos tea and maybe a piece of carrot cake or some fruity one? Whatever they have."  
Giving her a thumbs up, Nick watched as Judy skittered towards the toilets as fast as her prominent belly allowed it.

The sun peeked around the edge of some miniscule clouds just when he sat down at a table outside of the establishment.  
Placing a glass of blueberry soda in front of himself and a cup of tea as well as a plate carrying two slices of cake opposite to him, he settled into one of the chairs and let the warm rays seep into his fur.  
He got Judy's carrot cake as well as another piece with apples, knowing his mate's appetite would likely not stop at just one.

The corners of his lips turned upwards as his face lightened up.  
 _Carrots is definitely eating for more than one._

A content sigh fled his lips, and with his eyes closed, Nick sunk a little deeper into his seat, painting the picture of a perfectly happy fox who relished his life.

As mammals passed by in front of the cafe, he kept his eyes shut, relying on his nose to inform him of the return of his mate. Hence his surprise when steps stopped right beside him, and a female voice called his name.  
"Nick? Nick Wilde?"  
Opening one eye, he took in the mammal standing next to him.  
"It really _is_ you!"

The lanky female red fox smiled at him, her tail swishing behind her excitedly.  
"When I saw the article a couple of years ago, and they mentioned an N.P. Wilde who helped to solve that nighthowler case and later became the first fox police officer, I was almost convinced it was you. Though the years have changed your face quite a bit. But seeing you in person now I'm sure."

She leaned in a little closer to inspect his face.  
Embarrassment crossed her features the next moment, and she quickly withdrew.  
"Ah, I'm so sorry. I keep on rambling and bugging you, but you probably don't even remember-"  
"We used to be friends back in Pavlov High. You were sitting behind me throughout the last two grades. Good to see you finally got rid of those braces."

A smirk crossed his face as he saw her surprise.  
Her perplexity made way for a happy smile.  
"Oh, there is so much we have to talk about. Do you mind if I..."

The rest of her sentence remained unspoken as her gaze fell upon the cup and plate in front of the yet unoccupied chair.  
"Oh, you are here with someone?" her smile faltered a little. "Is it a friend, or...?"  
"My best friend." His lopsided grin eased into a warm, genuine smile. "Also, my partner at the force. And my-"  
"-mate," came the softspoken interjection from behind them.

Stepping closer, Judy regarded them with a warm expression - placing a kiss on her fox's snout, which he answered with a soft rumble - before she turned towards the vixen.  
"I'm sorry for interrupting your reunion."

The flabbergasted vulpine needed a moment to collect her thoughts before she was able to stammer an answer.  
"Oh, no, no. Don't worry about that. I'm just... I didn't think... you are Judy Hopps, right?"  
The doe nodded and held out a paw, "and you are?"  
Taking it, the other female gave her a small smile in return. "Nichole Embers. Nice to meet you."

Judy couldn't help a short chuckle escaping her at hearing the name.  
"I'm sorry," she apologized upon seeing the vixen's slightly dejected look. "That's a beautiful name, but... Nichole and Nicholas?"

A huff sounded from behind her while Nichole suddenly looked slightly exhausted.  
"Don't get me started. Since we were the only two foxes in our class, everyone automatically assumed we were a couple. And with our names being so similar we were called Nick and Nicky. Sometimes even Nicky and Nicky. That is when they didn't use any other, less _polite_ ways to call us."

While the vixen had been talking, Judy had taken her seat.  
Now she gestured at one of the free ones, wordlessly inviting Nichole to sit down with them.  
Indecisively, she glanced at Nick. When the tod nodded, she accepted and thanked Judy.

Meanwhile, the doe had started nibbling on her sweet pastries, her eyes closing appreciatively.  
"So, everyone assumed you were a couple?"  
Nichole nodded bashfully, her ears lying back since she could guess what Judy would ask next.  
"And were you two dating?"

While her hunch had been right, she was still surprised that there was no sting or jealousy to the words, just honest curiosity.  
She pondered the question for a moment before she decided to be honest with the smaller female who she felt unexpectedly comfortable around.  
"No. I... had feelings for him," she admitted with halfway laid back ears, hers eyes flitting to the reynard for a splitsecond. "As cynical and bitter as he often was, he was also surprisingly sweet, funny, and compassionate towards the people around him. Infuriating, too. But I guess I don't have to tell you that," she added with a chuckle, earning her a laugh and vigorous affirmation from the lagomorph.

"I even had confessed to him once."  
From one moment to the next, her expression turned sad and a little forlorn.  
"Well, he turned me down. I always thought we had such good chemistry going on, and he was always such a flirt. But I guess I can see now why he didn't reciprocate my feelings."

Her words didn't carry any animosity, yet Judy looked like she herself had been the one to inflict the pain the vulpine must have felt all those years ago.

Placing a paw on her forearm, she drew Nichole's gaze to her.  
"I... I'm sorry that I can't feel sorry it didn't work between you two. But you seem to be a wonderful and sweet mammal, and I just _know_ that you will fall in love with someone who will be just right for you."  
"I'm not sure you are actually right about this, but I'll try to believe it. At least, now I can finally close this chapter and stop wondering if there is still a chance for me 'should I ever meet Nick again'." She made little air quotes.

"And I can see that you are good for him." Her expression softened as her gaze wandered from Judy to Nick. "There is this light in his eyes I've never seen before. At least not that strong. You make him happy."

The doe's ears heated up at the words, her eyes darting away bashfully.  
"I think you are overestimating-"  
"She isn't." The objection drew her gaze back towards her mate, who regarded her with utmost love.  
"You should finally accept the fact that you, my dear Cottontail, make me complete and my life perfect. No 'buts', no exaggeration, no overestimation."

Judy fidgeted in her seat, slightly embarrassed upon hearing these words.  
Though she beamed at her mate while reaching over the table to take his paw into hers. She felt him squeeze it slightly before she retracted it and focused back on her sweet treats.

The three of them sat together for a couple more minutes before Nick excused himself to head for the little tod's room.

When he returned, he found the two females laughing and giggling together.  
"Oh no, he didn't!" Nichole exclaimed, holding one paw to her muzzle in an attempt to trap a laugh.  
"I swear, he led me straight into the wet cement. I was so furious at him. But I got my revenge later, coercing him to help me with an investigation. He had no way of saying no. Oh, the expression when he realized that he had been tricked by a small, 'dumb' bunny was priceless," Judy smirked.

"Yeah, I really didn't think you had it in you," the voice from behind surprised them a little as both females had been unaware of Nick's return. "But I have never been happier to be wrong in my whole life. Not that I have been wrong often, to begin with."

His mate rolled her eyes at his usual demeanor but gave off a pleased chirr as he stole a small kiss when passing her by.

"And while I'm sorry to spoil your fun," he continued, still standing next to the doe, "I'm afraid we have to go. We are cutting it close if we want to meet with the owner of that apartment on time."  
"Oh, crickets!" Judy dug out her phone and realized that Nick was right.

Just when she was about to pocket it again, it started to ring.  
She recognized the number on the display as the landlord's, wondering briefly if they were late and had already missed their date.

A short conversation later, she placed the device on the table with an irritated huff after ending the call.  
"We have a problem, Nick," she accentuated her statement with a second of intense foot-thumping. "He said that he was sorry, but the one looking at the apartment right before us took it, so he canceled us. He sounded genuine when he apologized, but still..."  
Her foot started drumming on the ground once more, and only stopped when she felt large paws landing on her shoulders.

With a sigh, Judy relaxed a little in her chair and reached up to put one of her smaller paws on his.

"You are looking for a new place to start your family, huh?" the question drew the two mammals' attention back to the other vulpine.  
When they nodded, Nichole pulled her own phone from her purse, tapping away at it until she found what she had been looking for.

"I moved recently, too, after I got a new job and had a... not very pleasant breakup." A small, sad smile crossed her features before she held out her phone to show Judy the display. "That's the number of my former landlady. A very sweet, old zebra who definitely wouldn't mind an interspecies couple. I don't know if my old apartment is still available, though."  
Judy's eyes lit up as she quickly entered the number into her phone directory.

Before Nichole knew it, she was caught in an embrace by the lagomorph.  
"Thank you, Nicky."  
Looking slightly flustered, the vixen reciprocated the hug with a chuckle.  
"You are welcome."

When Judy let go, Nichole's gaze was drawn to her belly.  
Curiosity getting the better of her, she asked the question she had been dying to ask from the moment Nick and his partner had declared they were a couple.  
"It might be none of my business, but I'm still wondering... why did you decide on a donor instead of a surrogate mother? Or are you planning to have a litter of fox-kits as well in the future?"

It took both of them a moment to catch on.  
But the instant the penny dropped, neither Judy nor Nick could refrain from grinning smugly at her.

Exchanging a quick glance, Nick gestured for his mate to explain.  
"I don't know if we'll have a second litter in the foreseeable future. Or at all. But this one," she gently caressed her belly with a fond expression, "is all ours."

At first, Nichole seemed about to break into laughter at the doe's assumed joke. But her open muzzle closed, and the raised corners of her lips sunk when she realized it wasn't one.  
Slumping down in her chair with an expression stuck between wonderment and disbelief, she tried to wrap her head around this piece information.

After a brief interval of silence, she found her voice again.  
"A fox and a bunny having kits together... now I've seen everything."  
Her words were laced with laughter, and with a shake of her head, she seemed to regain her composure.

"Yet another victim of the cosmic humor which we call reality," Nick chimed as he shot Judy a wink.  
Rolling her eyes once more, she focused back on the vixen.  
"Since that means we have some time at our paws now, would you want to stay and chat a little longer? You must know some juicy, embarrassing stories about Nick when he was still a teenager."

A silent cough next to her confirmed her guess.

"Believe me, I know loads of little anecdotes that this reynard here probably wants to be forgotten forever. Like the one and only time we both tried out smoking in our high school's restrooms. He had managed to singe the fur on his muzzle and panicked, thinking that he had set himself on fire, and 'doused' it by dunking his own head in the-"  
"Alright! That's enough for now!" Nick interrupted, drawing the gazes of some of the other customers.  
He quickly let his mask slip on, forced his puffed out fur to lie flat again and his ears to perk up.

Clearing his throat, a somewhat forced-looking smile appeared on his face.  
"If you ladies wanna gossip about me, at least do it when I'm not in earshot."  
"Well," Nichole peeked at her phone, "I'm afraid right now I won't have time for any more stories anyway. I still have places to be."  
"In that case, why don't we continue this later?" Judy suggested with a smile that caused cold shivers to run up and down Nick's spine.

 _Two females together exchanging awkward stories about me... Is it too late to join the Foreign Legion?  
_ A sigh escaped his lips upon that dreadful thought, drawing chuckles from the mammals in question.

"Sounds lovely, Judy. Alright, let's do that. But now I have to go. Let me know how it worked out with the apartment."

When Nichole rose, Judy got up as well, hugging her unexpected new friend once more before they said their goodbyes.  
Stepping up to Nick, the vixen hesitated for a moment. But he simply opened his arms, ready to receive a quick embrace as well, which she gave with a soft smile.

As soon as they had parted ways and Nichole was out of sight, Nick felt a small but strong bunny fist connect with his shoulder.  
"Ouch! Do I really deserve to get hit because of a little hug? Didn't take you for the jealous kind, Fluff." He shot his mate an incredulous look while rubbing the slightly aching spot.  
"That has nothing to do with jealousy. Your tail is mine, and you know it just as well as I do."  
"So why-"  
"It's because Nichole is a sweet person, and you were playing with her feelings when you were younger."

Deflating a little, his ears flattened back against his skull.  
"You are probably right. I've hurt her back then. Pretty badly, it seems. But you are also wrong thinking I was just messing around."

His posture straightened and his averted eyes focused back on Judy.  
"Believe it or not, I wasn't always the confident, smooth guy you chose for a mate." His comment earned him an unamused stare, wiping the lopsided grin off his face.  
"No, when I was a teenager, I was self-conscious, insecure, and almost already as cynical as I was when we first met. Being a fox hasn't granted me a good start in life. I lost my father because of our species. And besides Nichole, the only other friend I had back then was Flash."  
Judy already knew that Nick and Flash's friendship reached back until their time at high school, but hearing that the sloth was one of only two friends her fox used to have was sad news to her.

"So imagine how confused and... _scared_ I was when I realized that for some reason I never felt attracted to Nichole or any other vixen, but to other species' females. I didn't want to add yet another thing to the list mammals would harass and hate me for. Back then, I just didn't have the strength to do this. So instead I did something very foolish. I tried to force myself to fall in love with her. Didn't work out very well."

He felt a soft touch to his arm, and when looking at Judy, he was met with a compassionate smile.

"So, you have been hiding this side of yourself all those years?"  
The question drew a dry laugh from Nick.  
"No, of course not. I'm not made of stone. I did try to find someone over the years. Some inter who was interested in me. But... inter or not, foxes were still hated or shunned by most other species. That is, until I met a certain, grey-furred lagomorphic lady that forced her way into my life, annoying the fox-forsaken daylights out of me at first. More so since I thought she was just another biased mammal, yet I still felt attracted to her."

"Wait," Judy, who had cuddled into her mate's side while he was talking leaned away from him now to look him in the eyes, "that means you had 'teased' me because I was the girl you had a crush on? Are you a little boy?"

The tod chuckled before he replied.  
"Nothing like that. I wasn't trying to gloss it over. I was angry. At you, for being speciesist - even if you didn't realize it back then. At myself, for being drawn to you nevertheless. At life, because it was so cruel as to put another mammal in front of me, that would most likely hurt me, too, if I would let her get too close. I was lashing out. And I'm still sorry for that, Carrots."

His words were answered with an unexpected kiss.  
"I have long since forgiven you, my dumb fox. And I think I kinda deserved it, considering how I acted and talked to you."

He placed another kiss on her lips, which she requited with a low hum before snuggling back against his side as they continued down the street.

"Alright now, quid pro quo. If we talk about those kinds of sob-stories, tell me what yours is. Have you always known that you are an inter? Dated some other male - bunny or not - before me?"

Nick had expected many things in return to his question, but laughter was far down on his list.

"No. No, definitely not. I never considered myself an inter. Still don't do, to be honest. I have never been in love with someone before you, so I guess you are simply my Mister Right."  
The statement sent a warm tingling through his whole body, and he gave his mate's paw an affectionate squeeze.

"But how come? I mean, I can see why you would fall for handsome and charming me. But have you never even tried dating anyone in school? Never fooled around or something?"  
The silence-filled moment that ensued after his question felt tinged with a certain sadness. Though before he could ask anything else, Judy answered.

"I... had given up on that at a certain point. You know that I wanted to become the first bunny police officer since I was very young. That labeled me as a kind of misfit, it seemed. Most bunnies didn't want to get involved with the weird, 'crazy' kit. So I stuck to my few friends and family. But no buck - or doe - ever showed interested in me while I grew up. The few that actually approached me were rather obvious about their intentions. It seemed I was interpreted as a kind of trophy or maybe a dare. So, yeah, as I said, I gave up. No buck wanted me and with the way I was treated by them _plus_ my own fears of becoming a mother, I stopped caring about them altogether at some point."

Nick came to a sudden halt, quickly squatted down and pulled his bunny into his arms.  
"And I have to thank all the mammals who treated us both the way they did, so I could meet and fall in love with you. And I had been incredibly, unbelievably lucky that you returned those feelings."

Thinking about it, she had to agree.  
If not for the events of her past and the idiots who had harassed both of them, they wouldn't be here right now.  
And she wouldn't be as happy as she was while her wonderful fox held her.

From one moment to the other, Judy felt at peace with her past.  
If anything would have happened differently, she might have never met the mammal that meant most to her in the world.

She lovingly nuzzled him under the chin, adding a quick kiss to the same spot.  
While being at eye-level with her, Nick took a moment to appreciate the warmth in Judy's eyes before standing back to his full height.

"Alright, all this mushy stuff aside-"  
"Don't act all embarrassed now. You enjoy occasions like this, too," she smirked.  
" _All this stuff aside!_ What are we going to do now, Fluff? We suddenly have quite some free time at our paws."

She didn't have to think much about it, her reply coming quickly.  
"Actually, I'd like to head home. My feet are aching. My back, too. My... well, almost everything."

Before she knew it, she found herself being carried by her mate.  
"Wha-? Nick?! Y-you really don't have to do this!" the flustered bunny's voice was almost a squeak.  
 _"Don't act all embarrassed now. You enjoy occasions like this, too,"_ Nick parroted her with a high-pitched voice, his smirk outdoing hers by several degrees.

Feeling the heat rise into her cheeks and ears, she couldn't deny it.  
"It's still embarrassing, though," she mumbled, her face hidden against his chest.  
"Would it make it better if I throw in a massage and some cuddles on the couch once we are home?"  
He felt her tuft of a tail flick at the prospect before she nodded against his front.  
"We got a deal then."

He started whistling a happy tune while walking down the street, carrying his happily tooth-purring mate in his arms.

* * *

"Well, it already looks better on the outside than the first one," Judy exclaimed, taking in the clean white facade of the building.  
"So did the second one, but the owner was an ass," Nick pointed out. Though he silently agreed that it made a good first impression so far.  
"He was a horse. And that's speciesist... but you are right."

Both stood there for another moment, looking at the building in silence.

They were aware that, should it not work out this time, they would most likely not get another chance to find a new home before their kits were born.  
"Alright, here goes nothing!" The doe's ears stood up as she headed for the entrance, her mate at her side.  
Just as she was about to ring the bell, the door opened in front of her, and a pair of cougars emerged from within the building, almost running into her.

Both, Judy and the felines, were equally surprised at the near-collision.  
"Ah, sorry Miss," the male quickly took half a step back. As his gaze fell upon the bunny's prominent belly, he held open the door and with a smile gestured for her to enter. Returning the smile, she thanked him as she and Nick passed them by.

Just before the door closed behind them, Judy could hear the male talk to his mate.  
"Weren't those the police officers from some years ago?"  
"Don't be silly, dear. Just because they are a fox and a bunny doesn't mean they are the same."  
"You are probably right, I..."

After that, the cougars were too far away for Judy to hear them anymore.

 _Should we get the apartment, and they recognize us... ugh, I can almost see the headlines already.  
_ Judy's ears faltered a little at the thought. But she decided to push it aside for the time being.

Meanwhile, they had found the right apartment, the nameplate reading 'Munda'.  
As Nick rang, Judy wondered what the landlady would be like. Her short talk over the phone didn't leave much of an impression besides a slightly husky voice and calm demeanor.

Nicky had described her as a sweet old zebra who wouldn't have any prejudices against an interspecies couple. Though how she wanted to know that to be true was beyond her.  
She had texted the vixen later that day, curious if the one she had lived here with was maybe from a different species.  
But Nicky had answered in the negative and told her she would probably find out soon enough.

 _Maybe Miss Munda is an inter herself?_ Judy wondered.

Just when Nick was about to ring a second time, the door opened, showing an elderly zebra.  
The equine wore a terracotta-colored dress with an intricate, brown pattern that somehow reminded Judy of the velds of the Savannah the district they were in was named after.

She gave them a surprised look before glancing at her wristwatch.  
"Oh my, it's already this late? You two must be here to see the apartment, right?" A soft smile followed her question.  
"That's correct, we had talked briefly yesterday, Miss Munda."  
"Ah, please," the older female interrupted Judy, "just call me Agatha."  
"I'm Judy, and this is my mate, Nick," the doe introduced them, relieve at the kind reception causing her to finally relax.

More so when she saw the zebra's smile widen a little at them after that.

"I'll get the keys, and then we can go upstairs. The apartment is on the fourth floor." She retreated into her own home before returning a moment later.

"You mentioned yesterday that a former tenant gave you my number?" Agatha inquired while the three mammals ascended the stairs.  
"Yes, Nichole Embers. A friend of ours."  
It felt right yet a little strange to Judy to call the vixen she had just met one day ago a friend already. But she was under the impression Nicky would actually agree to the sentiment. In Nick's case, it was even true that they were old friends, after all.

"Ah, yes. It was such a shame when that sweet vixen told me she would move. But I can understand that she didn't want to stay here any longer." Compassion and sadness tinged Agatha's words.  
"But it's so typical for her to still help a lovely couple like you to find a new place to live." She gave them a warm look just as they reached the fourth floor, heading down towards their destination.

"And we are grateful to her," Judy answered with a coy little smile at the zebra's statement.

"I have to admit, I'm kinda curious, though," Nick spoke up for the first time.  
Even before he finished his sentence, Judy knew what he would ask and cringed inwardly at his usual straightforwardness.  
"Nicky told us you wouldn't mind an interspecies couple such as us. How did she know?"

Key already in hoof, Agatha stopped mid-motion just as she was about to unlock the door to the apartment.  
Laughter sounded from her all of a sudden.  
"I see. She didn't tell you anything, did she? I really don't mind if she did, though. Generally, I would never dislike or hate someone for loving another mammal. Different species? Same sex? It doesn't matter. Love is love." She said that like she was talking about the weather on a pleasantly sunny afternoon.  
"Additionally," her gaze was a little distant as her thoughts traveled, "my granddaughter is... well, engaged isn't accurate as they are not allowed to marry yet, but nevertheless, her boyfriend - or fiancé - has already proposed to her. He is a young stag. Kind, calm, and smart. And he truly cares about and loves her."

Her eyes focused back on the couple in front of her.  
"How could I judge someone else after witnessing firsthoof how happy my own grandchild is?"

"That is a very progressive way of thinking."  
Judy nodded along to her mate's words which drew a chuckle from the equine.

"What can I say. I have always been someone who had gone against the grain. You probably understand that quite well." Her gaze lingered on the bunny for a moment.  
"My husband had to learn that as well when he realized I wouldn't just be a mere housewife."

 _Mare housewife,_ Nick's brain offered.  
Though before he could usher a word, he glimpsed his mates warning gaze and kept his muzzle shut.

"He was _shocked_ when I stated I wanted to find a job as well. That was before he inherited this building from his grandpa and we started working together. Well, that was about forty years ago already... And I keep prattling on when you two are eager to get in." Agatha shot them an apologetic look, shaking her head as if she was berating herself.  
"Don't worry about it. Keeping this up for forty years is quite an accomplishment after all, and we would like to hear more about it." While saying this, Judy wore an honest smile, telling Nick that she actually meant it.

His ears lay back upon hearing his mate's words.  
"Well-" before he could object, an elbow found the way into his side without the bunny taking her eyes off Agatha or her smile faltering in the slightest. It was a motion after all that she had had lots of occasions to practice considering her foxy partner.  
"-of course we would," he agreed belatedly.

"I see. You two would be married already as well, wouldn't you?"  
A wide grin followed Agatha's words as the expressions of the annoyed fox and smug bunny suddenly changed places. Well, almost.

Judy's cheeks had turned a bright shade of red while her mate smugly lay an arm around her, drawing her closer so he could place a kiss between her bashfully laid back ears.  
The action drew a soft hum from the doe which drove all smugness out of Nick, whose smirk eased into a genuine smile.  
Agatha watched them a little longer before she opened the door and led the couple inside.

They were greeted by a short hallway opening directly into a large living room to the left, while a door to the right allowed them a glance into a modest kitchen.  
Judy and Nick both mentally juggled around their furniture from their current apartment, made notes what could fit where and decided that the big living room - kept in a light yellow which created a bright, friendly atmosphere - would easily allow for a large dining table, so that the small kitchen wouldn't pose a problem.

A balcony faced towards the building's backyard.  
Since there was some space between their and the next building, and all the surrounding ones were on the small side as well, their view wasn't impeded by high risers or other tall structures until the skyscrapers closer to the city's center melted together into Zootopia's famous skyline, known all around the globe.  
Additionally, when looking down, the backyard offered a lovely view with its multiple beds of diverse, vibrant flowers as well as small isles of lush green created by the canopies of some trees.

Nick felt that they could trust the elderly zebra but still repeated his trick from the first apartment they had visited. He felt a little guilty when he 'accidentally' dropped a couple of coins from his pocket, more so when they all pretty much stayed where they landed.

 _Better safe than sorry,_ he told himself.  
After all, the floor could have still been slanted even if Agatha wasn't aware of it.

"No need to throw around money already. We can talk about that later after you saw the rest of the apartment."  
The equine's unexpected comment drew a laugh from Judy and a chuckle from her fox.  
Both of them liked the older female more and more by the second.

Agatha led them out of the living room and into the kitchen they had only caught a glimpse of before.  
It was indeed as small as it had seemed. But it also already contained a large refrigerator, a long corner kitchen including an oven with induction cooker, a dishwasher, and sink, as well as numerous cupboards and cabinets.  
Looking at it that way, the room offered more than enough space to cook meals as long as one didn't plan to consume them here as well.

As the landlady lead them around the corner of the L-shaped hallway, four more doors awaited them and gave Judy and Nick hope that this apartment would be perfect for their family.

Behind the first lay a bathroom, tiled in white, dark blue, and soft pink.  
Along one wall stood a relatively large bathtub next to a shower. Opposite to those hung two wall-mounted fur-dryers.  
Together with the washing machine and tumble dryer, the room appeared a little cramped. But the amenities were worth the slight lack of space in their opinion.

The next two doors gave way to rather small, unfurnished rooms respectively.  
One of them a little bigger than the other one.

"Those were originally meant to be guest rooms or offices. But I guess in your case they would be perfect for your little foals... no, cubs?" Agatha appeared a little bothered while trying to find the right term.  
"Well, young bunnies are called kits, but..." Judy gave her mate in inquiring look.  
"Pretty much the same for foxes. Kits, cubs, or pups. So calling them kits is still fine." His paw gently caressed her belly, her own laying on top of his, giving a gentle squeeze.

As they both focused back on Agatha - remembering only slightly embarrassed that they weren't alone - they found her wearing a surprised expression, one hoof risen as if to keep the question inside that was written across her face.

Not that they couldn't guess by now.

"Yes, those are our own," both stated in unison.  
Judy gave off an amused snort while Nick only sported a grin, stuck halfway between mirth and smugness.

Before they knew it, the zebra had caught them in a quick embrace, letting go again the next moment.  
"I'm sorry, but I'm just so happy. If I tell this my granddaughter, she will be delighted." She beamed at them, exposing slightly yellowed but otherwise flawless teeth.  
"I'm getting sidetracked again," another shake of her head.

"That's all right, Agatha. believe me, we do understand that this is surprising."  
This time, Nick was the one assuring the zebra, earning him an affirmative nod from his bunny.

Thanking them, Agatha showed them to the last room - the actual bedroom - before they left the apartment.

Instead of asking them if they wanted it or not, Agatha invited Nick and Judy into her own home.  
Seeing no harm in that, they accepted the offer as well as her tea and self-made cookies.

After an hour had passed in pleasant conversation, they decided it was time to address the topic of the apartment's rent, and if Judy and Nick wanted it or not.  
When Agatha told them the sum, it wasn't hard for her to understand that a simultaneously deflating fox and bunny were a bad sign.

"It's too much," Judy admitted, her ears hanging limply behind her head.  
"What exactly would you be able to pay, if I may ask?"

Nick didn't have to think about it for long, having mulled over the numbers often enough over the last couple of weeks.  
With their combined salaries and taking into account that the little ones would need lots of things...  
"... it's about three hundred dollars more than we can afford. Two hundred, if we really tighten our belts."

Nick tried to not let his disappointment show, but even his ears were halfway laid back against his skull, and his smile was shallow.

Agatha appeared to be deep in thought for a couple of silence-filled minutes before she excused herself and left the room.

"What can we do now?" Judy asked in a soft voice.  
"Make the best of our old apartment and keep on looking, I guess." It wasn't the perfect answer, but it was all he could think of at this time.  
The room sank into silence once more, only interrupted by the ticking of an old-looking analog clock sitting on top of a sideboard.

When Agatha returned, she carried a small stack of papers in one hoof and placed it in front of the couple.  
"It's a standard tenancy agreement," Agatha stated, and seeing the confusion written across her visitors' faces, she quickly continued, "The rental fee and deposit, as well as the account data for the transaction, are written on page four."

Opening the mentioned page, two pairs of eyes widened in disbelief.  
"Agatha..." it was the only word Judy could say.  
"Are you really sure?" Nick added.

The landlady simply nodded, a small smile playing around her lips.

"This is not only three but _four_ hundred less than what you told us before! We can't-"  
"Yes, you can," Agatha interrupted the doe in a soft yet stern voice. "As I told you, my granddaughter is in an interspecies relationship of her own. I saw how difficult it often was for her not to despair when the mammals around her treated her like a lesser being for this. Her own father - my son - tried his hardest to 'correct' her behavior and make her understand how 'wrong' it was. He was never violent or anything, but it was still heartbreaking to watch. I tried my best to support her - both of them - and I think I did make a difference. Even my stubborn son had relented at one point. And if I now have a chance to give another couple a good start in their life - a good start for their family - then I will do that. Gee, this is my apartment building, and I decide on the rent."

The two younger mammals still looked at her like they were thunderstruck.

"Also, it's my way to say thank you."  
"For what?" Judy already had a guess but in case she was right, she had to decline.  
"Oh, for this and that. Mainly for telling me about your kits and for keeping an old lady company."  
A wink followed her words before Agatha took up her cup and drank the last drop of tea.

"But, still-"  
"Alright, you got me," the equine interrupted her once more, "I was lying before about the rent. This here is the actual one. I apologize, so can you please forgive me and refrain from reporting me?"

For Judy, the penny dropped a second after Nick began to chuckle.  
She already had had a hunch since a comment the old landlady had made earlier but now she was convinced.  
 _She knows who we are. She knows that we are police officers and she wants to help us without us breaking any rules about accepting gratuities._

A part of her was still wavering. The knowledge should prevent her from accepting, but on the other paw...  
"It's good that you admitted it before any actual breach of the law had taken place," Nick spoke with his most suave voice, a smirk firmly plastered across his snout.  
"That means we can leave it at a warn... I mean, we won't file a complaint this time."

Before his mate could argue with him - and he knew she would - he pulled his paw from his pocket, producing a bright orange device.  
"Just in case, we will keep this evidence with us." He pressed the button on one side, upon which the carrot pen played Agatha's 'confession'.

For a moment, the landlady was utterly confused as to what had just transpired, until Judy threw her paws into the air with an overly dramatic, exasperated huff.  
"Alright, _alright_. I agree, this is safe enough and we accept."

The instance Agatha understood - at least she thought she did - a grey bunny had rounded the table and gave her a long hug.  
"Thank you, Agatha. We really appreciate it. The apartment is wonderful, and we are looking forward to living here."

Laughing, the zebra returned the hug.  
"You are welcome, deary. But do you two always do things the complicated way?"  
"Almost always, yes," Nick confirmed. "Easy is just too boring for us."

Laughing once more, Agatha shook her head at her two newest tenants.

"Now there is only one thing to do," she stated before leaving the room for the second time.  
Wondering what else their future landlady had in petto for them, they were rather surprised to see her return with the keys to the apartment.

"I know the agreement reads that you will be able to move in coming next month. But that's only one week away from now, the apartment is already empty, and you will probably want to at least furnish it 'before you move in'."

* * *

Half an hour later, Judy and Nick left the apartment building, both wearing identical expressions of relief and happiness.

Both of them knew all too well that the world could be a cold, uncaring place. That the mammals living in it were often self-centered and could be cruel and heartless.  
But there were also the ones who cared deeply about others. Precious gems like Agatha Munda who was - just as Nicky had told them - a very sweet, old lady.  
Without her - and Nicky as well, of course - they wouldn't have found a place to start their family on such short notice. Not only that, but it was slightly closer to work, more than just affordable, and definitely big enough.

"Now we only need to move in, huh?" Judy almost did a happy little binky, but wrestled the impulse down since her aching joints would probably make her regret it.  
"Though that will still take a lot of effort. And we need some new furniture for the little ones and the living room."  
Nick chuckled as he watched his mate going into planning mode right away.

"What's so funny, Slick? We still have lots to do and not that much time."  
"Oh, I know, Carrots. And I'm already on it." A smirk appeared on his face and only then did Judy realize that he had been occupied with his phone the whole time.  
"Fin and my mom are already on board helping us with moving our stuff. I also posted on Furbook that we found an apartment and will move soon, so I hoooope..."

As if on cue comments started to appear beneath his post.

He had counted on Judy's family to read it since pretty much all of her over three hundred siblings had added him as a friend after finding out they were dating and expecting kits.  
Now quite a couple of them, as well as her parents, offered to come by and help them move, what he gratefully accepted.

Judy, who had taken a peek at his screen, gave him a little hip-bump - at least as best as she could.  
"Very smooth, Foxy. Seems we have a lot of helping paws now. That means we can focus on shopping for furniture and everything else we'll need."  
 _"Yay,"_ Nick tried to act annoyed at the outlook, but was unable to stop his tail from swishing happily through the air.

After all, this was the chance he never dreamed he would get.

The chance to create a home.

For himself.  
For his beloved lifemate.  
And for his future family.


End file.
